In Russia, rainbows are considered dangerous symbols. Court cases that deal with this seem ridiculous to the point of absurdity – but in the worst case, they end in death for those convicted.
Anastasia Yershova, 24, a saleswoman from Nizhny Novgorod, had to spend five days in a prison cell last week, for the first time in her life. The young woman said it was an unpleasant experience when she was released on Sunday evening. It was terribly cold; the heaters in the cell barely provided any warmth. The walls of the cell were damp and full of mold. Cell phones are banned in Russian prison, and the family brought her books. “Those days were very, very long,” Anastasia said in an interview in Freedom.