The Suzdal prison has become a place of confinement for many people, both ordinary and famous, throughout its existence. This is evidenced by the memorial plaque at the entrance. In 1829, the Decembrist Fyodor Shakhovsky tragically ended his life here, driven to madness. Three years earlier, by the order of Nicholas I, the monk Abel, who predicted the fate of the royal dynasty, both World Wars, and the Civil War in Russia, was sent to prison. Abel died in prison in 1841 and was buried in the Nikolskaya Church.

Since 1820, the leader of the Skoptsy sect, Kondratiy Selivanov, was held within the prison walls. In 1877, another sect leader, Maxim Rudometkin, died here, having written 14 prophetic books during his imprisonment.

The monastery's prison housed many prisoners of the Orthodox Inquisition, including Old Believers. Among them was Fyodor Kovalev, who buried 25 people alive, including his family, to avoid the census.

During the Soviet era, the Spaso-Evfimiev monastery prison became a place for political prisoners, such as economist Leonid Yurovsky. During the Great Patriotic War, the prison served as a filtration camp, through which more than 8,000 people passed, and later as a camp for prisoners of war. Field Marshal Paulus was held here for about two months.

After the war, the building was used as a colony for juvenile offenders. Initially, boys were held here, and after the 1947 riot, girls. In 1968, the prison was transformed into a museum.

The Spaso-Evfimiev monastery prison is a unique landmark of Suzdal, capable of telling about several historical eras. The museum features stands and documents that narrate the lives of the prisoners. This monument, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, is a special place where many people endured hardships and said goodbye to life. Some deservedly, and others, perhaps, not.