Stay in a Russian gulag

This item appears on page 64 of the November 2016 issue.

In the Siberian town of Tobolsk, the Prison Castle museum (5 Red Square, Tobolsk 5626152, Tyumen Region, Russia; phone +7 8 3456 22 37 13, tiamz.ru/en/museums/21) is now also a hotel. 

At the cost of RUB600 (near $9) per person per night for up to 16 people, each guest can sleep on a metal bunk in a 2-person “sweat-box” room, a cramped room used to punish prisoners. A toilet and shower are on site. Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Czar Nicholas II are among prisoners who spent time in the penitentiary. 

The museum, itself, is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Tues.-Sun. A guided tour and an “Escape from the Prison Castle” activity are available to visitors and to guests at an additional charge.