Vladimir Putin is behind bars… in Google Street View

Many people in the West want to see Russian President Vladimir Putin behind bars for the war he started in Ukraine, and for many other past actions of the authoritarian Kremlin leader. In the meantime, they can get an idea of what it would be like in a prison cell on the Google Street View platform.

The images appear in a virtual tour of a prison in Lithuania, a former Soviet state that today is “at loggerheads” with the Russian Federation. The project was carried out by the Go Vilnius tourist office in collaboration with Google Maps.

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Internet users can explore Lukiskes Prison in the capital Vilnius. It has been transformed into a cultural space – with bars, indoor gardens and exhibitions – that houses more than 350 creators and artists. Scenes from the TV show Stranger Things were filmed there. Under these circumstances the complex, which has not operated as a detention facility since 2019, has become a major tourist attraction.

Those who venture virtually through the prison corridors are in for a surprise. In one cell they come across a life-size cardboard depicting the Russian president. The creation belongs to artist Elijas Slezas.

The citizens of Lithuania protested vehemently against the war in Ukraine. Recently, the Baltic state imposed more sanctions on Kaliningrad. These include a ban on the transit of goods to and from the Russian exclave.

You can see Putin in jail on Street View here.

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