Tatiana, the IK-2 prison, Ulianovka village, Leningrad district, Russia

I’m in prison for 1,5 year. I have a daughter of 14 years old. When I found myself in prison, our relationships with her broke. After you had visited her and congratulated her with Christmas, she came to me for a date. I can’t thank you enough for myself and my daughter, because you helped us. She has unforgettable impressions still about your visit. We became closer, you helped us not to forget each other. Thank you very much; the thing that you do is so noble. Owing to the project, people who had learned nothing about God were able to learn about Him and confessed. I saw it and I knew that no single heart was left untouched, it reached everybody! My daughter has a difficult period of adolescence. When I was put into prison, she began to drift apart from me, but your visit brought her back to me. Now we have nice relationships and my daughter waits for me. Praise the Lord!

Anna

I think it is a great project because women in our prison are grateful for the things you do. It brings us and our children joy. There is an opportunity to congratulate our own children because some of women live in other towns, there are women who have never been visited by relatives, and who haven’t written letters to their relatives. When you came last time, women were about to cry because they were so grateful for this. It is such a rare case and, moreover, for free. It is so pleasant. Children were so glad. I have a daughter of 7 year old, she is with her grandmother now. When you carried out the project for the first time in the Arsenalnaya prison, I also took part in it and congratulated my daughter. This project touched many people. My daughter doesn’t know that I’m in prison, she is told that I’m in clinic. I have a large term but I try my best, I work well and I have no misconducts. I want to bring my daughter up after my release. I’m not a drug addict or drunkard, may be I get married and give birth to a child. I’m not going to come back here because I realized that it is not for me.

Karina Khudakova

I was under investigation process when we were visited and told that we could fill in a questionnaire for our children to be congratulated with Christmas and given presents. Some time later photos were brought to us and we knew that children had been congratulated in reality. It was very pleasant to know that there were such people who were not indifferent to our children. My child is with his father now. I write to him but he never replies. My husband got married; and his new wife sometimes writes letters to me in respond. After two years I saw my child for the first time on the photo you brought to me.

Elena Porkhomenko

I am form Murmansk. I found myself here because of unpleasant incident. My mother is quite old and son stays with her. They wait for me. They can’t write letters always, and of course, they can’t come: it is very far away, and it takes a lot of money and health they don’t have. I was very glad to this letter. I’m here for two years already. I ask my son to write to me. He is of 16 years old, I understand his age. You brought this letter to me, I was so exited and full of joy. I have not seen him for a long time and have not received letters from him for long time either. I was in shock. Having received the letter, I went to our section here and burst into tears. It is worth carrying out the project. I know that they love me and wait for me. My daughter is in Kalingrad. A woman who had visited my daughter wrote a letter to me and offered to continue correspondence and visiting of my daughter. It is a very good thing, everybody has children. The thing that you do is very pleasant and necessary. Thank you very much.

Tatiana Petrova

I’m form Murmansk. I have a son. I have not received news from him for a long time. When I was convicted, he was 12 years old, now he is 16 years old. You brought photos, I didn’t recognize him. It is so agitating. At the same time it is so important, because not so many good things happen. Especially people like us don’t receive many letters from homes.
My son wrote to me: “Mommy, don’t be upset; when I have time, I’ll write to you surely. Don’t get upset, I’m fine.” I received photos and felt as if I was at home by myself.
I think it is worth carrying out the project. You bring such a joy to our children. What kind of things did they see from us? Only letters. And here they can receive presents as well.
Thank you very much for your work.

Alla, the IK-2 prison, Ulianovka village, Leningrad district, Russia

Thank you very much for the things you do and help us to be rejoined with children and take part in congratulating them. I was so worried at the beginning, and I could not believe in it. But you came and brought photos. My mother wrote to me, and I saw my child.

Mariana, the IK-2 prison, Ulianovka village, Leningrad district, Russia

When I was in my cell, the administrative staff members came to us and told that we need to fill in questionnaires, and then our children could be visited and congratulated with Christmas. Nobody believed that anything would be given to them. We filled in questionnaires and nobody waited for anything, no feedback. Prison is prison. Thank you very much. We are grateful for your support, we were so please to receive our children’s replies. We hoped; hope springs eternal in the human breast. I was given three photos of my child and a postcard where she had outlined her hand. It was so pleasant, I cried when I received it all. Everything is such a valuable things to me! I took part in the project this year again and filled the questionnaire. I’m sure that everything will be fine. I have four more years of my sentence and I want to hope for good. Thank you very much for your help. Thank you that you exist.

Vera, the IK-2 prison, Ulianovka village, Leningrad district, Russia

I learned that this project was carried out, and of course, I had questions. I’m far away from my child and my home, and I have no chance to see him. I haven’t seen him for three years already. We talk by phone and write letters. My boy is seven years old, he lives in Ukraine with his grandmother. If you visit my child, I will be very glad! He’ll receive mother’s approval that I have not forgotton about him, that I remember him. To talk by phone is one thing, but to receive a present is so precious. He will be very glad and I will be pleased. Thank you.

Tatiana, the IK-2 prison, Ulianovka village, Leningrad district, Russia

We had discussed your visit and the project for a long time before the lights-out time and after it, and later we could not understand why you did this. We did not believe that somebody would go to give presents. It is me who live in Saint-Petersburg but majority here live in other towns. We didn’t think that you would go to different towns to visit every child. You managed to do it, to rejoin hearts of mothers and children! Thank you very much!