On Vitebsk Highway in Smolensk stands a building with a complex history. Today, it serves as a residential house, but its walls remember a time when it was a provincial penal prison. Built in the mid-19th century, the building became a place of confinement for many people.
Over the years, its purpose changed several times—from a correctional facility to a hotel, from the headquarters of the secret police during the German occupation to a corridor-type dormitory. Throughout its long history, the “house-prison” witnessed revolutions, wars, and shifts in political regimes, silently observing pivotal events.
During World War II, the building became the residence of the Secret Field Police (GFP), which was used as a tool of repression against the local population. After the liberation of Smolensk, the house returned to civilian use.
Today, it is officially recognized as a cultural heritage site, yet it remains a residential building. In the corridors where the voices of prison guards once echoed, the voices of residents can now be heard.
The history of the house-prison is part of Smolensk’s history, a reminder of the city’s and its people’s challenging past. And although its walls have witnessed many tragic events, the building continues to live on, albeit in a new form.
