Crimean artist Bohdan Ziza was transferred from Vladimir Central Prison

Crimean artist and civic activist Bohdan Ziza, who was unlawfully sentenced by Russia, has been transferred from Vladimir Central Prison to Pre-Trial Detention Centre No. 1 in Yekaterinburg. His final destination is currently unknown, his sister, Oleksandra Barkova, reported on the Instagram support page for Bohdan, “Webogdanziza”.

Bohdan Ziza. Photo from the family’s personal archive

In a letter addressed to those supporting him, Bohdan Ziza said that his transfer had begun on 30 May – 15 days after his stay at the prison in Vladimir had ended. The route took him through Nizhny Novgorod, Kirov and Perm before reaching Yekaterinburg.

“I do not yet know my final destination, but I am glad to have left the Vladimir and Kirov Oblasts behind. I hope I will not end up staying in the Omsk Oblast either“, the political prisoner wrote in a letter to friends and relatives.

You may also want to read: You sit like a potted plant: you may be watered, or you may not, and then you will wither – journalist Dmytro Khyliuk. A story of captivity and freedom

Bohdan Ziza said that during the transfer, he was held in a so-called “Stolypin wagon” alongside other prisoners accused by the Russian authorities under terrorism-related articles. According to him, the journey was exhausting, but letters, photos, books and manuscripts that he had received from his stored personal belongings helped sustain his morale.

“What a pleasure it was to finally hold all these things in my hands! Thank you. I cannot promise anything, but I will try to read everything“, Ziza wrote.

Excerpt from a letter by Bohdan Ziza. Photo from the “Webogdanziza” Instagram page

He also said that after arriving at the pre-trial detention centre, he was able to take a shower and receive food. At the same time, the artist stressed that he did not know when he would be transferred further, as the next stage of the transfer could take place at any moment.

“But the most important thing of all is you. How wonderful it is that you are there. I love you and send you a big hug”, he wrote to his family and friends.

Crimean artist Bohdan Ziza was detained by Russian security forces in May 2022 following an anti-war protest in temporarily occupied Yevpatoriia. He was charged under several articles, including those related to “terrorism”. In June 2023, the Southern District Military Court sentenced Ziza to 15 years in a penal colony, and the appeal court upheld the verdict.

While in a Russian penal colony, he renounced the Russian citizenship that had been imposed on him.

You may also want to read: Resistance gone underground: how occupation punishes dissent

Earlier, ZMINA reported that Kyiv hosted the presentation of the world’s first manga dedicated to resistance against Russia’s occupation of Crimea. Titled “The Flutter of a Butterfly’s Wings”, it is a documentary story based on real events from the life of Crimean artist and civic activist Bohdan Ziza.

In December 2025, it emerged that Bohdan’s health was deteriorating in Russian captivity.