In Kyiv, there are many interesting attractions, among which the bastion "Slanting Caponier" stands out. It is one of the oldest fortifications in Eastern Europe, built in 1844. It was part of the Hospital Fortification in the system of the New Pechersk Fortress, erected back in the early 18th century. It was intended that this line would serve as a barrier against the Swedish army during the Great Northern War, but Charles XII never reached here, having been defeated at Poltava.

The fortress was impressive in size, with more than 3000 embrasures for firing, and its arsenal could accommodate up to 100,000 rifles. Today, only a part of this grandeur remains, the "Slanting Caponier".

Over time, the need for it as a fort diminished, but it was not demolished; instead, it was converted into a prison. The first prisoners, Polish officers involved in uprisings against autocracy, were received in the 1860s.

The conditions in the "Slanting Caponier" were extremely harsh: prisoners often slept on straw, froze in their cells, and were subjected to brutal treatment. Due to the strict regime, the prison was nicknamed "Kyiv's Shlisselburg". Its most famous inmate was the assassin of Stolypin, Dmitry Bogrov, who was executed nearby, in another part of the fortress.

The prison did not lose its significance even during the Soviet years, when a guardhouse for soldiers was placed here. It is said that they were treated no better than the prisoners of the tsarist era: in winter, heating could be turned off for long periods, and in summer, the floors were doused with bleach.

Today, the former prison has become a museum. Here, you can view the prisoners' cells, see the death carriage, stroll under the gloomy arches of the "Slanting Caponier", take photos with old cannons, and simply relax on the green lawn.