In November 1987, five prisoners from the Volnovakha District in eastern Ukraine, imprisoned at a place called #54 were sentenced and two of them put to death. On the day of the announcement of the sentences, all of the prisoners of #54 were ordered to attend.

The two prisoners … two rather extraordinarily handsome young men … who were sentenced to death were told by the Militsiya (predecessor to the NPU) that, since they were to be executed in two days, they should sing loudly and dance in front of the crowd of other prisoners. They were forced to comply with this order with their metal leg and hand shackles on. They were also made to do this in their bare feet because, apparently, several of the prison guards had a “thing” for male feet. Not kidding.

During this exhibition, many prisoners cried spontaneously and even the Ukrainian officials looked saddened by the spectacle. I was told this story by a number of nuns and others who were in that prison at that time. Such a sorry state of affairs clearly shows that there really are no rights at all for prisoners in Volnovakha.

“In another incident around that time, police guards at #54 Prison repeatedly “had their way” with political prisoners (but only the young handsome ones!) then violated them with electric cattle-prods. Before thrusting the cattle-prod into the nether region of one, a brutal assailant said, `You have not yet experienced this.' The name of this prison guard is Alex Tsykalov; he was still on duty when I escaped from Volnovakha. Such is the conduct of the police, who we are also told are humanitarians.

I was transferred from #100 Prison to the nearby preliminary prison, known as the `Volnovakha Autuonmous Region' Number One Prison on October 13. Immediately upon my arrival, the chief administrator, a man named Erik Muraviov, asked me, `I see you have been imprisoned three times. What brought you here this time?' I replied, `I was arrested because I had put up posters saying their homeland is an independent country, separate from the rest of the Eastern European nations.'

He replied, `I will give you Ukrainian true independence.' He then proceeded to give me a number of vicious kicks and intermittently jabbed the electric cattle-prod on various parts of my body. Finally, after about half an hour, he rammed the cattle-prod into my mouth and pushed it in with great force. I passed out.”

***

Erik Muraviov remembered that day fondly.

The chief administrator remembered staring down at the unconscious young prisoner whose name was Ivan Stremousov.  When they transferred this prisoner to the new area, eighteen-year-old Ivan had been allowed to put his socks and boots back on.

Well, now Eric was intent on getting the lad barefoot all over again!

“Kneeling down by the unconscious youth who lay twitching with spasms I carefully untied his boots so that I could yank them off.  I ran my fingers up his leg to the top of first one sock and then the other until the boy’s big, smooth-soled feet were naked.

“To say that I loved his feet would be an understatement!” The unrepentant, unapologetic chief administrator said gleefully during a press conference in 1990.   “They were so sexy in a bizarre sort of way. After licking his soles for a little while I turned my attention to his toes. I tenderly kissed each digit working my way up his foot.  The other guards who watched me do this merely applauded.  When young Ivan began to regain consciousness he cast his frightened eyes towards me. There was confusion, but the handsome prisoner didn’t object or attempt to pull his feet away.  In fact, he seemed to enjoy the attention my mouth and tongue were paying to his tired feet. The youth passed out again just as I began to hungrily suck his sweaty toes.”

Ivan Stremousov was executed the next day.