{"id":17309,"date":"2015-04-30T11:59:34","date_gmt":"2015-04-30T15:59:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/?p=17309"},"modified":"2026-08-06T12:03:53","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T19:03:53","slug":"from-a-soviet-prison-camp-a-week-among-murderers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/from-a-soviet-prison-camp-a-week-among-murderers\/","title":{"rendered":"From a Soviet Prison Camp: A Week Among Murderers"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Pastor Georgi Vins<\/a><\/strong>
\n (From his book, The Gospel in Bonds,<\/em> chronicling his years in Soviet prisons)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The door closed and locked behind me. Heavy tobacco smoke hung in layers throughout the cell. Two electric bulbs burned dimly on the ceiling. The cell was not large, built to hold sixteen men. Metal bunk beds lined the walls. In the center of the room stood a wooden table and two wooden benches. A toilet and water faucet were partially hidden behind a short wall in the corner.<\/p>\n

Although it was after midnight, none of the prisoners were asleep. They were upset about something and had been arguing among themselves. Some stood in the center of the cell near the door. Others sat at the table. A few lay on the bunk beds. Nearly everyone stared at me with hostility. Something about the atmosphere in the cell alarmed me.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood evening,\u201d I said, then corrected myself. \u201cGood night.\u201d I dropped my mattress and pillow on the floor. \u201cI haven\u2019t slept for two days. Just got off the transport train.\u201d<\/p>\n

I started moving toward what looked like a vacant bunk, but two prisoners blocked my way.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy are you entering our \u2018home\u2019 so late?\u201d asked a tall man in a black sweater.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just got off the transport,\u201d I answered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were alone on a whole transport train?\u201d a voice piped in from a bunk.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, there were about a hundred of us from the Irkutsk prison.\u201d<\/p>\n

Where are they? Why were you brought here alone? It\u2019s a trap!\u201d someone shouted.<\/p>\n

Get out of here! Call a guard! We\u2019ve seen people like you before!\u201d growled the man in the black sweater. He pointed to the door.<\/p>\n

I had no energy left to explain. \u201cI just want to sleep,\u201d I said, trying to make peace. \u201cI\u2019ve gone two days and nights without sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

Several men began cursing me.<\/p>\n

My spirit cried out to God. Oh, Jesus, be with me! I don\u2019t even know where I am.<\/p>\n

A skinny little old man made his way out of the crowd. \u201cHow many people have you killed?\u201d he rasped.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a Christian. I never killed anyone. I was sentenced twice for my faith in God,\u201d I answered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere were you in prison before?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy first term was in the northern Urals. I just finished five years\u2019 strict regime in Yakutia.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you\u2019re a Christian and not a murderer?\u201d the man in the black sweater asked. \u201cFirst time I\u2019ve met anyone like you in prison. Why were you put here in this cell? All of us are murderers.\u201d He pointed to the little old man. \u201cAnd this one killed five people. We all just came from our trials and we\u2019re going to be sent to special strict-regime camps.\u201d He began cursing the judge and God.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy curse God?\u201d I objected. \u201cHe didn\u2019t bring you here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know your type,\u201d he shouted, moving toward me. \u201cGet out of here! You\u2019re not a Christian!\u201d He shoved me with his shoulder.<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t know what to do. The hostile faces of prisoners surrounded me. In my eight years of prison life, nothing like this had ever happened. Shouts, curses, threats, and an evil that I couldn\u2019t comprehend filled the cell.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou say you\u2019re a Christian?\u201d someone shouted. \u201cProve it! Let\u2019s see your Bible!\u201d Others echoed the command.
\nMy thoughts raced madly. Should I show them my little Gospel of Mark? What if they tear it up? No, I must show it to them. The Lord will protect His Word from these murderers just as He protected it from the soldiers on the train.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you really think I could get a whole Bible into prison? It would be confiscated! But I do have the Gospel of Mark. That\u2019s part of the Bible,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s see it!\u201d demanded one of the young men.<\/p>\n

I opened my bag and pulled out the box with the little Gospel. Hands stretched out from all directions to touch it. \u201cIt\u2019s so tiny!\u201d the prisoners marveled. Everyone wanted to see it.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan we read it?\u201d asked the man in the black sweater.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, of course!\u201d I handed it to him.<\/p>\n

\"georgi-vins-2\"
Georgi Vins during his imprisonment<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Suddenly the skinny little old man darted forward and grabbed for the little book. \u201cDon\u2019t touch it!\u201d he cried. \u201cIt\u2019s a holy book and our hands are sinful! They\u2019re stained with human blood! Have him read it to us!\u201d<\/p>\n

The man in the black sweater pulled free from his grasp. His gaze shifted from the little old man to the Gospel still in his hand and then to me.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be afraid,\u201d I urged. \u201cThis book was written for you as well as for me. It holds the path to salvation and a new life.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stood, still holding my bag. Weariness overcame me. I didn\u2019t know how much longer I could stand. A young man turned to me. \u201cYou can have my bunk tonight.\u201d Then to the others he sneered, \u201cHa! Why are you attacking him like animals? The man\u2019s been in prison for years only for his faith in God and you harass him! Sit down here.\u201d He showed me his bunk.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere are you from?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cKiev.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m from Kiev, too! I spent a month there robbing. That\u2019s where I was arrested the last time. What camp were you in?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTabaga, a strict-regime camp about fifteen miles from Yakutsk,\u201d I answered.<\/p>\n

Another prisoner confirmed my statement. \u201cOh, yes,\u201d he said, bobbing his head up and down, \u201cI know that camp. What other camps are in Yakutia?\u201d<\/p>\n

I named at least three other camps in Yakutia where I had been a prisoner. Again other prisoners confirmed my words. Still holding the Gospel, the man in the black sweater sat down at the table. The rest of the men gathered around and he began reading aloud:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. . .”<\/p>\n

\u201cLet us see it! Let me hold it! I want to at least touch it! I\u2019ve never held a Gospel in my life!\u201d interrupted excited voices.<\/p>\n

Just then the metal door scraped open and an officer and two soldiers entered the cell. Even before the door was completely open, the man in the black sweater had managed to hand the little book to another prisoner who hopped up to his bunk in a flash. It happened so quickly that hardly anyone in the cell noticed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy aren\u2019t you sleeping?\u201d the officer asked. Then he looked straight at me. \u201cHow do you like your new cellmate? Is he one of you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Everyone was silent. The officer seemed quite disappointed. He studied my face to see if I\u2019d been beaten. Now I understood why I\u2019d been put in this cell. He had expected the murderers to attack me.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t believe anything he says,\u201d the officer said, pointing his finger at me as he left.<\/p>\n

After the officer was gone, the man in the black sweater retrieved the Gospel. I went over to a bunk, knelt, and poured out my thanksgiving to God.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook! He\u2019s praying!\u201d whispered some of the prisoners in amazement. \u201cLet him pray. It\u2019s his business,\u201d said others.<\/p>\n

Complete peace filled my heart. Later I learned that the KGB had indeed instructed the prison administrators to put me in that specific cell. Some of the prisoners had been told lies about me in advance and were incited to attack me. I\u2019m sure the KGB concealed the fact that I was a Christian. But with that little Gospel of Mark, God had, in an amazing way, upset the cunning schemes of His enemies. I felt completely secure, protected by God Himself.<\/p>\n

When I awoke the next morning I didn\u2019t remember where I was. Then I opened my eyes and saw the other prisoners sitting around the table, listening intently as one of them read from the Gospel. Already the morning sun penetrated the double-barred window of the cell as a fresh breeze blew through a small open pane. I lay quietly, listening to the Word of God. Soon the closing verse of Mark 16 was read. I got up and walked to the table, and the man in the black sweater handed me the Gospel. Everyone was silent.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a powerful book,\u201d he said simply.<\/p>\n

The little old man turned to me. \u201cI\u2019ve killed five people,\u201d he said. \u201cCan God forgive me?\u201d<\/p>\n

The man in the black sweater looked at me closely. \u201cHow can I find salvation? All night we were reading the Gospel and discussing this. There was no one to ask and we didn\u2019t want to wake you. I\u2019m also a murderer, a murderer and a thief. That\u2019s what the Gospel said. How can we get this salvation?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you repent before God and trust in Jesus Christ, then you, too, will receive salvation,\u201d I told the man in the black sweater. \u201cAnd God will help you turn from your wicked, criminal life.\u201d<\/p>\n

The little old man\u2019s voice trembled with fear and excitement. \u201cBut I\u2019ve killed five men. This isn\u2019t even the first time I\u2019ve been caught. I was in prison before, you know. They wanted to execute me but changed my sentence to fifteen years\u2019 special strict regime. Do you think God can forgive even me?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

I looked at the puny man with the squeaky voice. How odd that such a feeble person could find strength to kill five people. \u201cYes, God can forgive you,\u201d I said. \u201cJesus Christ forgave the criminal on the cross next to Him. He took everyone\u2019s sins upon Himself, even the most horrible sins, and died on the Cross for all men because God loves us. Even though I never killed anyone or stole anything, I am a sinner, too, a sinner forgiven by Jesus Christ and saved.\u201d And I recited the familiar verse of John 3:16: \u201cFor God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish but have everlasting life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHave any of you ever read the Bible before or heard a sermon about Jesus Christ?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

They shook their heads. Never before in their lives had any of these men read the Gospel or heard a sermon.<\/p>\n

Seeing this, I was again amazed that after reading it just one night, they understood the Gospel\u2019s main message\u2014salvation! Usually prisoners are proud of their criminal exploits. They don\u2019t even use the words \u201ckill\u201d or \u201cmurder.\u201d They say, \u201cWell, I got him wet\u201d (meaning wet with blood), or \u201cwasted him,\u201d or \u201csqueezed him.\u201d And when they talk about it, their victim was invariably the guilty one who got what he deserved. But after reading the Gospel, these men understood that they were the guilty ones, they were the criminals, they were the sinners, having sinned not only against man but, more importantly, against God.<\/p>\n

I spent a week in that cell. The men asked hundreds of questions. Every day we talked about God. I explained how Jesus died on the Cross\u2014not for His wrongdoing but to pay the penalty\u2014serve the sentence\u2014for our sins, our crimes. If we believe that He died in our place, He offers us a new life, a fresh start, doing what pleases God. He gives us hope for the future and strength to make it through each day.<\/p>\n

The men listened tirelessly. It was hard to believe that these same men had been so hostile toward me that first, tense night. I rejoiced at what God was doing in their hearts. But I knew that it was only the beginning. I can\u2019t say that all of them repented and became Christians right there, but I saw their desire to learn about God.<\/p>\n

My \u201cneighbor\u201d from Kiev, whose name was Petro, stayed by my side for hours at a time. He had spent his whole life engaged in various criminal activities. Petro was fascinated by everything I had to say and asked many questions. He simply couldn\u2019t understand why the authorities were so cruel to Christians.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are a believer,\u201d he\u2019d say. \u201cWhy do they put you in prison? You can help people!\u201d<\/p>\n

One day the cell door opened and a guard called out my name. \u201cGather your things and get ready to move,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He left, giving me ten minutes to prepare for the journey. I looked at my cellmates. One of them hurried over to me and held out my tiny Gospel of Mark. \u201cIt was absolutely amazing that we could read it here in prison,\u201d he said. \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Petro looked at me longingly as I hid the little book in my bag. \u201cOh, Georgi,\u201d he cried, \u201cgive us that Gospel! You already know the story. You\u2019ve read it many times but we just started reading it. We\u2019ve all got fifteen years to go through. And some of us,\u201d he glanced at the little old man, \u201cwill probably die in camp. We really need that holy book. Please leave it with us!\u201d<\/p>\n

What should I do? I wondered. This little book is so precious to me! I\u2019ve had it so many years in prisons and camps. The Lord preserved it through many searches, even on the train when the soldiers found it and wanted me to rip it up. This little book actually saved my life in this cell. I still have exile. Oh, I don\u2019t want to give it up!
\n\u201cYour God will give you many Gospels,\u201d added the man in the black sweater. \u201cWhere will we get another one? Leave it with us. It\u2019s the only truth I\u2019ve found in my whole life.\u201d<\/p>\n

I handed it back to the man in the black sweater.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet moving! Let\u2019s get out of here!\u201d the guard shouted impatiently through the door.<\/p>\n

I grabbed my bag. Someone quickly shook my hand as we parted. \u201cFarewell, Georgi! Pray for us!\u201d<\/p>\n

The guard took me to the transit cell. I was so impressed by my week in the cell with the murderers that I nearly forgot about being exiled to Tyumen. With my own eyes, I saw how special God\u2019s Word became to those prisoners in such a short time. I\u2019ll never forget them. I left behind with them not only my tiny Gospel of Mark, but also part of my heart.<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a> for more information about Pastor Georgi Vins.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Pastor Georgi Vins (From…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":16834,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[573,1911,87,108],"tags":[42,276,648,2420,2480,2481,2762,2763],"class_list":["post-17309","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-book-excerpts","category-remembering-communism","category-the-word-of-god-defending-the-faith","category-persecution-defending-the-faith","tag-persecution","tag-the-gospel","tag-murder","tag-georgi-vins","tag-the-gospel-in-bonds","tag-ussr","tag-soviet-gulag","tag-soviet-prison","wpcat-573-id","wpcat-1911-id","wpcat-87-id","wpcat-108-id"],"yoast_head":"\nFrom a Soviet Prison Camp: A Week Among Murderers - From the Lighthouse<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/from-a-soviet-prison-camp-a-week-among-murderers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"From a Soviet Prison Camp: A Week Among Murderers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Pastor Georgi Vins (From...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/from-a-soviet-prison-camp-a-week-among-murderers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"From the Lighthouse\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/LighthouseTrailsResearch\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-04-30T15:59:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-06T19:03:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/irkutsk-prison-e1786043026449.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"811\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"507\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Georgi Vins\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@LTrails\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@LTrails\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Georgi Vins\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"12 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/from-a-soviet-prison-camp-a-week-among-murderers\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/from-a-soviet-prison-camp-a-week-among-murderers\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Georgi Vins\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ef9651f258aebc516d869873a449f540\"},\"headline\":\"From a Soviet Prison Camp: A Week Among Murderers\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-04-30T15:59:34+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-08-06T19:03:53+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/from-a-soviet-prison-camp-a-week-among-murderers\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2492,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/from-a-soviet-prison-camp-a-week-among-murderers\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/01\\\/irkutsk-prison-e1786043026449.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"persecution\",\"the gospel\",\"murder\",\"georgi vins\",\"the gospel in bonds\",\"ussr\",\"soviet gulag\",\"soviet prison\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Book\\\/Booklet Excerpts\",\"Remembering Communism\",\"The Word of God\",\"Persecution\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/from-a-soviet-prison-camp-a-week-among-murderers\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/from-a-soviet-prison-camp-a-week-among-murderers\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/from-a-soviet-prison-camp-a-week-among-murderers\\\/\",\"name\":\"From a Soviet Prison Camp: A Week Among Murderers - From the Lighthouse\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/from-a-soviet-prison-camp-a-week-among-murderers\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/from-a-soviet-prison-camp-a-week-among-murderers\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/01\\\/irkutsk-prison-e1786043026449.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-04-30T15:59:34+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-08-06T19:03:53+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ef9651f258aebc516d869873a449f540\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/from-a-soviet-prison-camp-a-week-among-murderers\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/from-a-soviet-prison-camp-a-week-among-murderers\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/from-a-soviet-prison-camp-a-week-among-murderers\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/01\\\/irkutsk-prison-e1786043026449.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/01\\\/irkutsk-prison-e1786043026449.jpg\",\"width\":811,\"height\":507,\"caption\":\"One of the prisons Georgi was in - Irkutsk Prison; Library of Congress; public domain\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/from-a-soviet-prison-camp-a-week-among-murderers\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"From a Soviet Prison Camp: A Week Among Murderers\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"From the Lighthouse\",\"description\":\""A Light Shining in the Darkness"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ef9651f258aebc516d869873a449f540\",\"name\":\"Georgi Vins\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/16f9db36043587c0e0a6e45f371d4c731b418176ed7d8df59504892c82e2fe92?s=96&d=blank&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/16f9db36043587c0e0a6e45f371d4c731b418176ed7d8df59504892c82e2fe92?s=96&d=blank&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/16f9db36043587c0e0a6e45f371d4c731b418176ed7d8df59504892c82e2fe92?s=96&d=blank&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Georgi Vins\"},\"description\":\"Georgi Vins (1928-1998), a Baptist pastor living in the U.S.S.R., was 37-years-old the first time he was imprisoned for his faith in a Soviet prison camp. He left behind his wife, his children, and his church. Over the course of thirteen years, Pastor Vins spent a total of eight years in the gulags.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/georgi-vins\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"From a Soviet Prison Camp: A Week Among Murderers - From the Lighthouse","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/from-a-soviet-prison-camp-a-week-among-murderers\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"From a Soviet Prison Camp: A Week Among Murderers","og_description":"By Pastor Georgi Vins (From...","og_url":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/from-a-soviet-prison-camp-a-week-among-murderers\/","og_site_name":"From the Lighthouse","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/LighthouseTrailsResearch","article_published_time":"2015-04-30T15:59:34+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-06T19:03:53+00:00","og_image":[{"width":811,"height":507,"url":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/irkutsk-prison-e1786043026449.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Georgi Vins","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@LTrails","twitter_site":"@LTrails","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Georgi Vins","Est. reading time":"12 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/from-a-soviet-prison-camp-a-week-among-murderers\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/from-a-soviet-prison-camp-a-week-among-murderers\/"},"author":{"name":"Georgi Vins","@id":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ef9651f258aebc516d869873a449f540"},"headline":"From a Soviet Prison Camp: A Week Among Murderers","datePublished":"2015-04-30T15:59:34+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-06T19:03:53+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/from-a-soviet-prison-camp-a-week-among-murderers\/"},"wordCount":2492,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/from-a-soviet-prison-camp-a-week-among-murderers\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/irkutsk-prison-e1786043026449.jpg","keywords":["persecution","the gospel","murder","georgi vins","the gospel in bonds","ussr","soviet gulag","soviet prison"],"articleSection":["Book\/Booklet Excerpts","Remembering Communism","The Word of God","Persecution"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/from-a-soviet-prison-camp-a-week-among-murderers\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/from-a-soviet-prison-camp-a-week-among-murderers\/","url":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/from-a-soviet-prison-camp-a-week-among-murderers\/","name":"From a Soviet Prison Camp: A Week Among Murderers - From the Lighthouse","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/from-a-soviet-prison-camp-a-week-among-murderers\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/from-a-soviet-prison-camp-a-week-among-murderers\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/irkutsk-prison-e1786043026449.jpg","datePublished":"2015-04-30T15:59:34+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-06T19:03:53+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ef9651f258aebc516d869873a449f540"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/from-a-soviet-prison-camp-a-week-among-murderers\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/from-a-soviet-prison-camp-a-week-among-murderers\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/from-a-soviet-prison-camp-a-week-among-murderers\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/irkutsk-prison-e1786043026449.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/irkutsk-prison-e1786043026449.jpg","width":811,"height":507,"caption":"One of the prisons Georgi was in - Irkutsk Prison; Library of Congress; public domain"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/from-a-soviet-prison-camp-a-week-among-murderers\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"From a Soviet Prison Camp: A Week Among Murderers"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/","name":"From the Lighthouse","description":""A Light Shining in the Darkness"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ef9651f258aebc516d869873a449f540","name":"Georgi Vins","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/16f9db36043587c0e0a6e45f371d4c731b418176ed7d8df59504892c82e2fe92?s=96&d=blank&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/16f9db36043587c0e0a6e45f371d4c731b418176ed7d8df59504892c82e2fe92?s=96&d=blank&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/16f9db36043587c0e0a6e45f371d4c731b418176ed7d8df59504892c82e2fe92?s=96&d=blank&r=g","caption":"Georgi Vins"},"description":"Georgi Vins (1928-1998), a Baptist pastor living in the U.S.S.R., was 37-years-old the first time he was imprisoned for his faith in a Soviet prison camp. He left behind his wife, his children, and his church. Over the course of thirteen years, Pastor Vins spent a total of eight years in the gulags.","url":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/author\/georgi-vins\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17309","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17309"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17309\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47267,"href":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17309\/revisions\/47267"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16834"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17309"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17309"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17309"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}