Identifier: siberiaexilesyst02kennuoft (find matches)
Title: Siberia and the exile system
Year: 1891 (1890s)
Authors: Kennan, George, 1845-1924
Subjects: Siberia (Russia) -- Description and travel
Publisher: new York : Century
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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ve the pleasureof knowing you by reputation,—I have read your book,—and when an eminent foreign traveler comes to Siberia tostudy the country, I regard it as only my duty to call uponhim and offer my services. I was so nearly paralyzed with astonishment at this whollyunexpected greeting that for a moment I could hardly re-ply; but I managed to thank him and ask him to take a seat.We had a pleasant chat of ten minutes with regard to theroads, the weather, our Siberian experiences, the changedappearance of Irkutsk, etc., and then Captain Makofski said:I understand that you are interested, among other things,inprisons and the exile system. I think you will find the cityprison here in good condition. I will send some one to showyou through it, and I will not forewarn the prison officersthat you are coming—you shall see it just as it is every day. This, I said to myself, is the kind of chief of*policethat every well-regulated Siberian city ought to have. PKISONS AND EXILES IN IRKUTSK
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OLD POWDER-MAGAZINE AND BAZAR, IRKUTSK. 6 SIBERIA In the general discussion of the exile system which fol-lowed, Captain Makofski admitted that it was a great bur-den to the country and an evil thing in itself, but he saidthat there did not seem to be any prospect of its speedyabolition. The chief difficulty in the way, he said, is the financialdifficulty. The adoption of a central prison system in Eu-ropean Russia in place of the exile system has been sug-gested and discussed, but the change would necessitate thebuilding of twenty large new prisons at a cost of about tenmillion rubles, and the financial condition of the country issuch as to render this impracticable. While we were talking Mr. Frost came in, and after somefurther general conversation the chief of police took hisleave, urging us to call upon him informally and soon. Icould not at this interview fully make up my mind withregard to his character and motives. He seemed to beeverything that was amiable; but there was a sug

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