35 years inside and he's NOT leaving—this grandpa thief runs prison like a retirement home with shivs.
Season 3 • Episode 10
LatestThe elderly criminal authority Semyon Timofeevich Babushkin, about whose thieving talent legends were made up at the time, has not left prison for the last 35 years, preferring it to freedom, where he has no friends or relatives left.
Acting
Andrey Smirnov's deadpan Babushkin—career-capping performance.
Writing
Balances Soviet nostalgia with genuine emotional gut-punches.
Production
Authentic prison atmosphere without grimdark exploitation.
Creators
Aleksandr Polozov, Andrey Zhitkov
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The 'thieves-in-law' depicted here are real Russian criminal subculture with strict codes; the show's accuracy made it controversial with actual prison authorities.
Creator Andrey Zhitkov spent months interviewing elderly inmates—Babushkin's fear of smartphones and modern Moscow mirrors real stories of institutionalized prisoners.
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