Russian-Chinese border, uranium mines, Chitinskaya Oblast – that’s the new residence of YUKOS ex-CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Since October 11, no one knew where the former oligarch was being held, but today Khodorkovsky’s lawyers found out the location of the prison hosting their client.

Khodorkovsky was sent to the 8th division of the colony YaG-14/10. The colony was created in December 1967, when uranium was discovered in the area and the Strelzovskoe mines and Preargunskoe Uranium Factory were opened. For thirty years Krasnokamensk and the uranium mines, including the colony, were secret, making it on the list of the Soviet "closed cities".

As of 2002, the colony had 1389 prisoners. There were rumors that the prisoners were forced to work in the mines, but the rumors were false. Today, the colony is one of the top prison facilities in the country; the prisoners live in two-story brick buildings, and sleep in bunks. There is a TV in the recreation room, and on the weekends prisoners are allowed to attend a "club". Prisoners can be employed to sew textiles or work in a metal shop.

Because of the uranium mines and the distant location of this Siberian region, the radiation levels are higher than normal, and environmentalists haven’t had any luck getting the nation’s attention to this matter, because Russians have many other things to worry about.