Zhenya Berkovich Sent to Punishment Cell for 15 Days Over Attempt to “Bring in Three Candies”

Zhenya Berkovich was sent to a punishment cell for 15 days over an attempt to “bring in three candies”

Director Zhenya Berkovich ended up in a punishment cell over an attempt to “bring three candies to work.” Berkovich wrote about this to her mother, Elena Efros, from the Kostroma penal colony. The letter was published by Novaya Gazeta.

Berkovich writes that she has already been sent to the punishment cell twice. The first time for seven days, and 10 days later, for 15 days. In addition to the attempt to “bring in three candies,” she was accused of “not introducing herself fully when entering the office.”

Berkovich notes that both “violations” usually do not result in placement in a punishment cell. “Apparently, I stood out a lot somehow. But how, I still don’t understand, and the staff won’t explain. They just poke at my misdeeds,” the letter says.

At this point my reserve of irony runs out, because I am very hurt, it is cold and damp, I want coffee, and the psychiatrist is not coming. But never mind, we will survive this too.

Zhenya Berkovich is being held in correctional colony No. 3 in the village of Pribrezhny in Kostroma region.

In July 2024, the 2nd Western District Military Court sentenced Berkovich and playwright Svetlana Petriychuk to six years in a general-regime penal colony each in the case over “justifying terrorism.” Berkovich’s sentence was later reduced by five months, and Petriychuk’s by two months.

The criminal case was prompted by their play Finist the Bright Falcon, which tells the story of Russian women who leave for Syria to join their fiancés.

@meduzalive