Siberian Prison That Once Housed Author Dostoevsky Now Welcomes Tourists

TOBOLSK, SIBERIA, RUSSIA - JANUARY 21: A room for the prison attendant in the Prison Castle in Tobolsk, Russia, January 21, 2016. The Prison Castle, a strict regime prison in Tobolsk, was built during 1838-1855. The architectural ensemble consisted of several cell blocks, a hospital for prisoners, an administrative building, and other premises. Through it's history, especially during the Soviets, the conditions in the prison were considered stricter than in colony. One of the most famous prisoners of the prison were Mikhail Mikhaylov, Vladimir Korolenko, Nikolay Chernyshevski. Fyodor Dostoyevski, a famous Russian writer, spent about 10 days in one of the prisons in Tobolsk while he was transferred to Omsk for penal servitude. The prison was closed in 1989. Now the Prison Castle is opened to tourists. It accomodates the city archive, a museum, a hostel, a libraty, etc. Tourists can stay in a hostel which used to be a block of sweat-boxes (punishments cells).(Photo by Alexander Aksakov/Getty Images)