The Moscow Detention Center No. 2, known as Butyrka Prison, is not only the largest and most famous prison in the capital but also a true legend. "Butyrka," as it is called by the people, has firmly entered prison slang and has become a symbol of life behind bars in art. This place of confinement has a rich history, where Emelyan Pugachev and other notable historical figures served their sentences. The prison building, a monument of history and architecture, is located in the Tverskoy District of Moscow on Novoslobodskaya Street, not far from Butyrskaya Zastava, from which it got its name.

The history of Butyrka Prison begins in 1771 when Catherine II ordered the construction of a new large prison in Moscow. The project was entrusted to the famous architect Matvey Kazakov, who had already built the MSU building and the Senate Palace of the Kremlin. The architectural style of the building resembles a classic castle with four towers, each named: Pugachevskaya, Police, Northern, and Watchtower. The prison officially opened in 1775, and at that time, the ataman Emelyan Pugachev was held there. The tower where he awaited execution was later named in his honor. Architect Kazakov also built the Pokrovsky Church on the prison grounds, which was destroyed by the Bolsheviks.

In the 19th century, Butyrka Prison became a site of criminal activity, including counterfeiting. During revolutionary upheavals, the prison attracted the attention of protesters, but the guards successfully defended it. At that time, Vladimir Mayakovsky was held in Butyrka, using his time in confinement for reading and writing, although his manuscripts were confiscated. The prison library was unique, and inmates could spend unlimited time there.

During World War II, Butyrka housed prisoners of war, including Hitler's nephew, Heinz. After the war and Stalin's death, the prison became a detention center. In the 1990s, the prison was overcrowded, and conditions deteriorated, leading to inmate escapes. In 1996, three inmates escaped by bending the bars of the cell. The most successful escape was that of Vitaly Ostrovsky, who used parkour skills.

Butyrka Prison often became the center of criminal scandals. In 1994, Sergey Lipchansky organized a meeting in the prison by bribing guards. This event, known as the "Butyrka Banquet," was interrupted by operatives. The last death sentence in Russia was carried out in Butyrka: the execution of the maniac Sergey Golovkin.

Despite overcrowding, Butyrka is not considered the worst place for incarceration. More than two thousand people have served their sentences here, including famous footballers Pavel Mamaev and Alexander Kokorin, which contributed to the activation of sports life in the prison.

Butyrka Prison has become a "home" for many famous people, such as Emelyan Pugachev, Vladimir Mayakovsky, Nestor Makhno, and Felix Dzerzhinsky. Leo Tolstoy visited the prison to immerse himself in its atmosphere. Evgenia Ginzburg and Osip Mandelstam were also inmates of Butyrka. Alexander Solzhenitsyn spent several months here, and Zhanna Aguzarova was arrested for using someone else's passport.

Butyrka Prison has become popular among artists and is often mentioned in literature and cinema. Evgenia Ginzburg describes her experience of imprisonment in her book "Harsh Route." Butyrka also gave its name to a musical group performing chanson.

Today, the area where Butyrka Prison is located is in demand for office rentals, and there are periodic proposals to move the detention center to the outskirts of the city. However, the prison building has historical value, and activists propose to establish a museum in it. Currently, there is a museum of the history of Butyrka Prison on its grounds, opened in 1971. However, building a new prison in Moscow would require significant costs, and even maintaining the current state requires serious investments. In 2018, a decision was made to close Butyrka Prison and build a new detention center in Moscow.