The Prison Diary series, based on the book by State Duma deputy Maria Butina, is being released on online platforms. As a student at an American university, Maria was arrested on suspicion of working for the Russian government and promoting Moscow’s interests. Now, one of the main areas of the deputy’s activity is helping foreigners who share the values of the Russian world and protecting the rights of compatriots abroad. In 2018, the story of Maria Butina stirred up the public – the Russian woman ended up in prison in the United States. She was charged with being a foreign agent of influence and lobbying for Russia’s interests. The case became resonant, and Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stood up for our compatriot. On April 26, 2019, she was sentenced to 18 months in prison. In October 2019, Maria Butina was deported to Russia with a lifetime ban on entry to the United States…
After returning, Maria Valerievna joined the expert council under the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation and became a member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation of the 7th convocation. She described her experience in the book “Prison Diary” – performances were staged based on her memoirs, and now a series has been released on online platforms.
We talked with Maria Butina about her participation in the preparation of the film, about what helped her to endure and not lose hope in prison, and about public organizations under her leadership that unite foreigners who share the values of the Russian world.
– Maria Valerievna, episodes of the series based on your book are now being released on the streaming service. Did you participate in the creation of this work or did you trust the film crew?
– Yes, I took part in the creation of this multi-part film. Not only because the plot is based on my book, but I was involved as a producer of the project. The script is the original work of Igor Kopylov, but I answered his questions that arose during the writing process and consulted the film crew. My main task was to “remember everything” and tell in as much detail as possible how everything looked so that the artists could design the scenery. The difficulty was that, unfortunately for us, the Americans hide everything related to their prison system, and so the picture had to be reconstructed bit by bit, made up of my memories and the testimonies of other prisoners who served time in US prisons.
— For the dynamic development of events in cinema, sometimes you have to sacrifice authenticity, truth. To what extent has the story described in the book been changed in the series?
— We changed the names of the prototypes, real people, but the story is nevertheless 98 percent true. Perhaps, viewers will sometimes have thoughts: “Oh, well, this can’t be!” But I ask you to remember that the Lord is an amazing creator, and the path that some people think fate creates (and I still think it is God) is completely unique, and even the most sophisticated human mind cannot come up with something like that.
— I saw a play based on a book. Conventionality is acceptable on stage, but in a movie you need more details. How did you manage to recreate the atmosphere of an American prison? There aren’t many photographs or filming in public spaces…
— In a movie, of course, there are many more details. It was very difficult — many things had to be found at flea markets, ordered from websites… I mean American household items. You are right, there aren’t many images. I had to dig up all the archives of my acquaintances and friends who helped us make America in the series believable. But still, we ended up with a country that was too “clean” on the screen, according to the feedback from Americans who live in Russia and watch the film.
— I remember a very touching moment when you asked to bring Pushkin’s “Eugene Onegin” in the punishment cell. Why this particular work?
— With Pushkin, everything is actually very simple. When I was little, I caught pneumonia. I was sent to my grandmother in the village, and she and I learned his poems by heart. She did not force me to do this, I myself really liked his poetry. I also learned “Onegin” by heart, and, you know, it saved my life. You can reproduce it alone with yourself, in roles, experiencing completely different emotions. The guards and wardens thought that this was madness, but it was important to me that I was reciting beautiful Russian lines.
— There is an opinion or stereotype that 90 percent of prisoners in American prisons are people of color. Is this really true, or is this opinion a stereotype based on unreliable sources?
— Indeed, most of the prisoners are black or Latino. It is interesting, blacks make up only 13 percent of the US population.
But the fact that most of the prisoners are black is quite understandable: when serfdom was abolished in our country in 1861, in 1862 the Americans made a corresponding amendment to the Constitution, which abolished slavery. But at the same time, a law was passed that required people to be sent to prison for vagrancy. Thus, and according to it turned out that the amendment stated that slavery was prohibited everywhere except in prisons, and the law allowed yesterday’s slaves to be sent to the same plantations as prisoners. That is where the roots of what is happening in our time come from.
— Most Russians know about the United States from Hollywood movies, but what does America really look like? What are the key differences between reality and the screen image?
— I think each person should form their own picture by familiarizing themselves with different sources of information, and then draw conclusions.
— Hollywood’s “soft power” is America’s weapon, along with large-scale active propaganda that creates a negative image of our country. How do we counteract this? Do we conduct “counter-propaganda” abroad, showing the real Russia?
— Our strength is in the truth. History will put everything in its place, and we need to defend and protect our truth. This is not counter-propaganda or propaganda, but the consolidation of truth in understanding. As Woland said in Mikhail Bulgakov’s novel “The Master and Margarita” – “There is only one freshness – the first, and it is also the last. And if the sturgeon is of the second freshness, it means that it is rotten!” So is the truth – there is only one.
– If everything is clear with the elites broadcasting political ideas, then how do ordinary Americans treat Russians? Who are we to them?
– They treat us very differently. In 2014, when I had just come to study in the States, I heard the opinion that Putin is a handsome man, Obama is a wimp, and the Russians, although stern, are cool guys. Then those who treated Russia normally began to quiet down more and more, because the period of activity of the Democrats began. Then the big scandal of Russiangate broke out (accusations that Russia interfered in the US elections with the aim of damaging Hillary Clinton’s campaign, helping Donald Trump win, and provoking a political and social split in American society. — “VM”), and even those who were for us “changed their tune in the air.” It was very unpleasant to watch, but God will judge them. Of course, there are those who spoke out against Russophobia, and continue to do so today — these are worthy people, loyal to the truth and their convictions, and not to us.
— In accordance with the presidential decree “On providing humanitarian support to persons sharing traditional Russian spiritual and moral values,” the non-profit organization “Welcome to Russia” is carrying out its activities under your leadership. Why is this work relevant and why are we interested in migrants from unfriendly countries?
— In fact, we are not interested, but Russia has now become Noah’s Ark. Mass migrations began several years ago, even before the presidential decree was adopted. The document only removed additional obstacles. Thus, Russia influenced the formation of such a phenomenon as “spiritual and moral migration,” and this is an unprecedented story.
We are not enticing anyone, we are not paying any subsidies or benefits, we are not conducting propaganda under the slogan “Come live in Russia!” But people themselves are eager to move, because our country has now become the only stronghold of Christian traditional values, a state where you can come and understand that your children will go to a normal school, where a boy will remain a boy and a girl will remain a girl.
— Why do foreigners want to move to Russia?
— The main reason is that they do not support the neoliberal LGBT agenda*. Families are uprooted, leaving their comfortable lives, selling real estate, buying houses here, learning Russian, because they realize that otherwise they will simply lose their children. The juvenile justice law in the West is very strict today. If your child is not ready to play gender reassignment in kindergarten, the guardianship service will simply take him away and give him to a childless family. I think there is no need to explain what kind of childless families are meant in this case…
— Is it easy for foreigners to adapt here? How is the mentality fundamentally different and what is important to prepare for?
— They do not form diasporas and strive for social integration in Russian society. Of course, there are difficulties with the language barrier, but, as a rule, in two or three years even those who find it difficult to learn a foreign language get used to it and can already communicate at an everyday level and pass the exam to receive a certificate.
— In connection with the negotiations, do you think there is a chance that relations between Russia and the United States will improve, or will we always be enemies, although we are similar in mentality?
— To be honest, I am inclined to the second option, but with a small amendment — not enemies, but rivals. Precisely because we are similar in mentality. Both Russia and the United States are world powers that claim a missionary idea. But we are defending a traditional society that prioritizes such values as God, family and Fatherland, and America in this regard is an absolutely individualistic state, confident that everything should be measured by the needs and desires of the individual. There is no basis for a philosophical agreement and rapprochement here, but we can coexist and zhny.
BY THE WAY
Russian citizens who find themselves in a difficult situation abroad can seek help from diplomatic missions and consular offices of the Russian Federation. For emergency situations, there is also a 24-hour crisis center of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia. In addition, you can contact insurance companies if you have travel insurance, or organizations that provide assistance to tourists. The most common reasons for citizens temporarily staying abroad to contact Russian consular offices are the loss of documents, detention by local law enforcement agencies, including in case of violations of the migration regime of the host country, traffic accidents, as well as the need for medical evacuation.
DOSSIER
Maria Butina was born on November 10, 1988 in Barnaul. From 2011 to 2015 – founder, chairman of the All-Russian public organization in the field of protecting the rights of citizens to arms and self-defense “Right to Arms”. In 2016, Butina entered the United States on a student visa, enrolling in an American university. On July 15, 2018, Maria Butina was detained in Washington. In October 2019, she was deported to Russia with a lifetime ban on entry to the United States (she returned to her homeland on October 26). Since 2020 – member of the expert council under the Human Rights Commissioner of the Russian Federation. From 2020-2021 – member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation (was elected from the non-profit organization “Warriors of the Fatherland Charitable Foundation”). Since 2021 – deputy of the State Duma of the VIII convocation. In 2025, she joined the commission under the State Council of the Russian Federation in the direction of “Personnel”. Co-chairman of the subcommittee, which deals with issues of facilitating the resettlement to Russia of foreigners who share Russian spiritual and moral values. * The international LGBT movement is recognized as extremist and banned in Russia.