During the time of the Russian Empire, the Tsar's policy of punitive reclamation had made inhospitable Siberia the most suitable place for exiled political prisoners and criminals. Handcuffed and shackled, the persecuted dissidents were escorted by the army to another world.
They set off from the prisons of the Peter and Paul Fortress, over the Ural Mountains, past the Siberian prisons, across the Tatar Strait, and then went straight to the place of tragedy which would linger in history for a long time to come.
A lonely poet, too, quietly set foot in this land of darkness.

Met an odd chickadee
Which bumped into my book of poems.
Besides the wind tonight,
We were there.
Four eyes staring straight at each other, occasionally
Listening to the sounds of the night.
It is chirping
At the convergence of the glacier and Venus.
It asked, "Are you alone?"
In the unexpected heavy snow,
Shivering as it soared in the sky,
While the man on the ground yawned,
"No, I have many friends!"

Pandora Wilson: You are able to communicate with animals without much trouble, yet have difficulty socializing. Do you feel ... regretful about this?
Zima: It's better ... this way.
Pandora Wilson: So, did you choose to be sent to this island that's isolated from the world?
Zima: No, but it's ... nice.
Pandora Wilson: I've read your poems in many places around the island. The animals seem to enjoy them.
Zima: Oh ...

Pandora Wilson: That's all for our interview today. I must say, you've worked very hard.
Zima: My ... my pleasure.
Pandora Wilson: I think I should choose someone more appropriate to interview next time, such as зима.