‍Leniye Umerova, family archive, Suspilne 

A year and three months behind bars is a long time. It is unbearably long when you are only 26 and the charges are completely fabricated. Leniye Umerova was 24 when, in December 2022, she decided to leave Kyiv to visit her terminally ill father in Crimea, who was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer (Leniye used to live and work in the fashion industry in Kyiv). At the Georgian-Russian border, the girl was detained for checks. Since then, Leniye has been sent from one Russian prison to another. She is accused of espionage and threatened with a 20-year sentence. The only fault of the Crimean Tatar woman is that she refused to take a Russian passport when she was a schoolgirl. Today is her birthday. With the permission of her relatives, we bring to your attention 14 excerpts from her letters.

Letter one. "It's very warm in the cell, at first I thought that my back had warmed the wall until I realized that my back can’t be that big.

You are sending me a great Kyrgyz “mivina” (the most well-known brand of ukrainian instant noodles) - beshparmak (a traditional dish in Central Asia). It has horse meat. Where else can I taste this dish but in a detention center..."

Letter two. It is short. It ends with a postscript:

"Papuans listen to Papuan, and we listen to our radio."

Letter three. "Selâm my dears. I am currently reading Hawking's The Theory of Everything...

During my “walk”, I recently started “jogging”, although it took me a long time to adjust to the 10 square meters on the concrete floor without special footwear. I miss those 10 thousand steps... I often talk to you in my sleep."

Letter four. "Soon, on November 21, there will be a court hearing on the appeal of my detention. I have a new cell and a new “roommate”. We made a schedule for our daily routine because there’s simply not enough room for two people. At six o'clock I have to wake up and make the bed. Then I can lie down on it. I lie down there until eight. My neighbor, on the other hand, is an early bird. I'll share a life hack: you can make hot sandwiches and toasted bread with a kettle."

Letter 5. "I’ve been missing you all terribly. I dreamed that we were all making dumplings... Anayechka (mom) was grumbling that we should talk less and do more, otherwise the dough would dry out. Babayechka (dad) boasted of a very sweet grape variety... I'm learning to make origami: not cranes, but serious dragons. Recently, I went to court to appeal...

I wonder if it's something to be proud of when you are part of a rotting system, or if some people are just afraid to disagree?

I met with our people. I think I was just stupidly smiling. I felt incredibly elated and a lump in my throat. The strength of spirit and energy that inspire you not to give up. But there was also a feeling of sadness. In general, there is a fighting mood. I think it's impossible without it..."

Letter six. "My knee is recovering. Now I am undergoing a mandatory medical examination. I recently moved to a new cell. It looks like the old one: ash-yellow walls, two beds, a hanging locker for food, and a small table with a bench. There is a separate sink and a restroom behind it. The cell has a refrigerator and a TV with zombie news. My neighbor and I borrowed backgammon from the library, but neither she nor I know the exact rules - we each have our own, and there is no one to ask… As for the letters, I don't understand which ones are reaching you... Savboliniz (thank you) for the parcel. Please be sure to write a list of what you send." November 29, 2023.

Letter seven. "Selâm my dears. It's a real winter here. The snow is funny: dry and squeaky. They increased the heating in our cell, but I am still freezing. I make a bottle warmer... I recently read Pamuk's The Red-Haired Woman. It's beautifully written but didn't really "work" for me. As for me, there was not enough substance. Now I'm reading about China. It's a bit difficult, there are a lot of references. I'm reading about all of China's internal affairs from the beginning of the 20th century to the 2010s...

I recently went to a psychiatrist for an examination. I was frozen like a dog. I sat in a police car from 10 am to 12 am... Most likely, there will soon be a court hearing to extend my detention..."

Letter eight. "Selâm my dears! I read your words today. They cheered me up. "The Adventures of a Unicorn" hit me right in the heart. It's my dream #123 to sit down and watch it together, and then binge on the series classics, rewatch Game of Thrones, Paper House, and Supernatural. Have you watched The Oppenheimer? What did you think of it? I would be very grateful for a description and review.

Meanwhile, I'm making a list of dishes:

1. Pilaf.

2. Tatarashiki (Crimean Tatar dumplings) with soy sauce and sour cream.

3. Handmade shawarma.

4. A piece of fried meat with young potatoes.

5. Uzvar (Ukrainian drink) from Puzata Hata (restaurant chain of Ukrainian traditional cuisine).

I also think a lot about our doggo".

Letter Nine. "For the first time, I asked not to go for a walk. As it turned out, it was good. We were supposed to be taken out after dark, at 18:00. It was strange because it was for the first time. Usually, they took us out at 16:00 at the latest. It's not very cozy in the dark. There is a flashlight, but still...

Traditionally, they did not let a package of books in. Books are accepted only in letters, parcels, not packages - it's important - and delivered only by a courier. I have filed several complaints, and I will fight for the books."

Letter ten. "Selâm dear ones. I am writing to you as usual in the middle of the night. My neighbor is asleep. It's easier for me to form thoughts.

I close my eyes and seem to be talking to you. I say that because I have not understood the romance of writing to you all this time...

Here in the news, they don't show or tell anything about the facts. They just push propaganda that is detached from reality. Have you seen the news? Some incomprehensible screenshots, opinions of semi-experts, and a bunch of stinking narratives..."

January 28, 2024

Letter eleven. In it, Leniye describes in detail how her horrific journey through Russian prisons began.

Letter twelve. Leniye wrote it in early February. She asks about the rules of chess.

Letter thirteen. It is full of irony: "No need for garbage bags yet. There are too many of them. Please have mercy on the staff, it is not easy for them to unwind during searches. I subscribe to the more or less ok newspaper called “Sobesednik”. With news and adequate reports...

I wonder if anyone else reads newspapers these days if they are not behind bars?"

Letter fourteen. The last one for now. "My dearest ones. I recently started reading Homer's Odyssey. It is very exciting. By the way, here Menelaus is Odysseus's buddy, a positive character, although in Troy he was shown as a nasty old man. Also, Helen is Menelaus' wife again, did they bring her back? Please rewatch it for me and tell me the ending. I've forgotten everything..."

‍