Kazan Unveils 1,000-Place Pretrial Detention Complex to Replace 19th-Century Prison Castle

Overview

• The new pretrial facility opened on December 5 with Justice Minister Konstantin Chuychenko, Tatarstan head Rustam Minnikhanov, presidential envoy Igor Komarov, and FSIN director Arkady Gostev in attendance.
• The complex comprises 30 buildings, including units for long and short visits, a medical block, and a separate building for women with rooms for women with children.
• Officials said the center meets modern standards with advanced security systems and improved conditions for detainees and for the work of prosecutors, investigators, and defense lawyers.
• The site replaces Kazan’s SIZO No. 1, formerly housed in an 1807 prison castle by architect Yakov Shelkovnikov, which will be handed to the Republic of Tatarstan.
• Built under the federal program to develop the penal system, construction began in 2022 on nearly 22,000 square meters, with connected galleries between regime buildings and upgraded medical access for people with disabilities.