'We did, however, hold a New Year celebration. We managed to keep back a box of toothpowder when we returned our washing things, and used it to outline a full sized Christmas tree on the black metal surround of the unused stove. I did the top and middle part and Natasha, lying on the floor (she was unable to get up at the time) drew the trunk. Actually not one trunk, but two, wearing zek 'come now, come now' boots. We had made a paste out of the toothpowder with a bit of water, so the whole thing came out really well. It was such a happy little tree. And lying on the floor - Natasha on her sixth day of hunger strike, I on my eleventh - we rejoiced when when we looked at it, like a couple of children.'.
An excerpt from 'Grey is The Colour Of Hope', a KGB prison memoir written by Irina Ratushinskaya which was first published in 1988.
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