The Paradise of Lawlessness. The Holy 90s Through the Eyes of Eyewitnesses

The 90s in Russia is an era that provokes sharp debates and conflicting emotions. For some, it was a time of lawless revelry, spawning criminal wars, drug addiction, prostitution, and social chaos. For others, it was a period of rapid enrichment, an opportunity to "make oneself," build one's own business, and gain freedom from the Soviet past. Some remember it as the "wild years," while others refer to it as the "holy" years. Yet behind the gloss of the "holy nineties" lay tragic realities. For millions, this period became a time of unprecedented upheaval and deprivation. Job loss, the collapse of familiar lives, poverty, unemployment, and rampant crime became the sad reality for those who could not adapt to new conditions. The author, familiar with this era from personal experience, recounts the 90s truthfully, unafraid to expose its darkest sides. He shares his experiences, stories about his friends, and individuals whom fate brought into his life during those years. His narrative is not only about the criminal wars that raged on the streets of Russian cities. It is a story of how, as a result of "shootings" and "settlements," he found himself in a Russian prison. A Russian prison. A zone of alienation. A zone of yearning. A zone of pain and hatred. It is there, within four walls barbed with wire, that a strange feeling arises, indifferent to time and circumstances. In it, past faith, hope, and love have no meaning, and you decide for yourself who you will be - whether to turn into a beast or remain a Human. This state is called "The Paradise of Lawlessness".