This checklist has been prepared by the Hadrian Institute, Nuneaton, to assist residents in preparing their 23 kg personal effects case for departure. The checklist is comprehensive. It is not intended to cause alarm. Where items are listed as mandatory, they are mandatory. Where items are listed as recommended, they are recommended. Where items are listed as prohibited, they are prohibited, and their discovery at the departure point weigh-in will result in immediate confiscation and a note in your resident file.
Amendment history: Rev 1 (initial issue), Rev 2 (added warm socks following Tranche 1 feedback), Rev 3 (added emotional preparation section), Rev 4 (extended emotional preparation section following Tranche 2 feedback, removed optimism from recommended items list).
Clothing
The following clothing items are recommended for all accommodation categories. Winter clothing (coat, boots, gloves, hat) is issued upon arrival, but residents are encouraged to bring personal undergarments and base layers. The issued clothing is functional. It is not tailored. It does not account for personal preference. It is the same clothing issued to every resident, regardless of category.
- Thermal undergarments (upper) — minimum 7 pairs
- Thermal undergarments (lower) — minimum 7 pairsThe Programme recommends merino wool. The Programme is aware that merino wool is expensive. The Programme considers this a worthwhile investment given that you will be wearing it for the remainder of your life.
- Warm socks — as many as space permitsThis item was added following feedback from Tranche 1 residents, who described the issued socks as "adequate in the sense that they exist."
- Personal footwear (one pair)Must be suitable for forest terrain. Court shoes, sandals, and Crocs are not suitable for forest terrain. A resident in Tranche 2 brought Crocs. The Crocs did not survive the first week. The resident did not comment on whether they survived the first week.
- SleepwearDormitory heating is provided for three hours each evening. Nights are approximately 14 hours long during winter.
- One set of formal clothingFor the annual retreat photograph. The photograph is taken in June, weather permitting. In practice it has been taken once in the Programme's history, and the camera froze.
Toiletries and personal care
Basic toiletries are issued monthly. The issued toiletries are unbranded and functional. Residents who prefer specific brands, scents, or skincare routines should bring a 12-month supply in their case, as the next supply lorry may be delayed by terrain, weather, or what the logistics team describes as "bear-related incidents."
- Toothbrush (personal)Replacements are issued annually. The issued toothbrush is standard-issue and has been described by residents as "sturdy" and "institutional."
- Soap (personal preference, 12-month supply recommended)
- Shampoo (if required)Water is available for washing on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
- Razor and shaving equipment (if required)
- Any prescription medication (minimum 12-month supply)The retreat medical station carries basic supplies. If your medication is specialist, unusual, or "the sort of thing that makes a pharmacist raise an eyebrow," the Institute recommends bringing as much as your case will hold.
- Glasses or contact lenses (spare pair recommended)Opticians are not available at retreat locations. A resident in Tranche 1 broke her glasses in Month 3. She described the remaining 21 months of her residency as "impressionistic."
Documents
The following documents should be carried on your person, not in your case. Cases are transported separately and may not arrive at your retreat for several weeks after you do.
- Acceptance letter (original)
- NHS medical cardFor administrative purposes only. The NHS does not operate in Siberia. Your medical card will be retained by retreat staff upon arrival and filed under "Former Life Documentation."
- One form of photographic identification
- This checklist (completed and signed)
Please do not bring your passport. Passports are collected at the departure point and held by the Hadrian Institute for the duration of your residency. This is a standard administrative procedure and not, as one Tranche 1 resident described it, "a bit much."
Comfort items
The Programme recognises that residents may wish to bring personal items for comfort, sentiment, or what the Institute terms "psychological anchoring." Space is limited. Choose wisely.
- One photograph of your former lifeOne. The weight allowance is strict and sentiment has mass. Residents who bring more than one photograph report that the additional photographs do not make the forest less quiet.
- One bookThe retreat library contains two books, both in Russian. If you do not read Russian, the Institute recommends bringing one book in a language you do read. Choose carefully. You will have time to read it many times.
- Writing materials (for monthly letter)Paper and envelopes are available at the retreat, but the paper is thin and the envelopes are the wrong size. Most residents bring their own within the first three months, which is to say they wish they had brought their own.
- Seeds from your garden (optional)The soil is fertile, if frozen for nine months of the year. British wildflower seeds have been observed to grow in the retreat's brief summer, producing what one resident described as "a small, defiant patch of colour in an ocean of green and grey." The Institute considers this beneficial to morale.
- Small musical instrument (optional)Must be no larger than a recorder. A resident in Tranche 2 brought a harmonica. By Month 6, eleven other residents had learned to play it. By Month 12, retreat staff had asked them to stop. The harmonica is now kept in the medical station and may be borrowed on Thursdays.
Food and drink
Three hearty communal meals are provided daily. The diet is rich in complex carbohydrates and root vegetables. Residents who wish to supplement this diet may bring a limited quantity of personal food items, subject to the restrictions below.
- Tea bags (personal supply, recommended)Communal tea is provided. It is strong, functional, and described by residents as "present." Residents who have specific preferences regarding brewing time, milk ratio, or the existence of flavour are advised to bring their own supply.
- Biscuits (one packet, sealed)Biscuits must be sealed at the point of departure. Opened packets will be confiscated on hygiene grounds. The Programme recommends Digestives or Rich Tea. Chocolate biscuits have been observed to freeze during transit, which does not affect their nutritional value but does make them "emotionally challenging" to eat.
- Any specific dietary items (12-month supply)Gluten-free options are available on alternate Thursdays when the supply lorry has not been delayed. The supply lorry is delayed approximately 60% of the time.
Alcohol is not permitted. This policy was introduced following an incident during Tranche 1 in which a resident brewed what he described as "a kind of potato wine" in his dormitory locker. The resulting liquid was assessed by the retreat medical station as "technically a solvent" and the resident was given a formal warning. He has since described the experience as "the most interesting thing that happened that month."
Prohibited items
The following items are strictly prohibited. Cases are searched at the departure point. Items found during the search will be confiscated and will not be returned. A record of confiscated items will be placed in your resident file. Residents with multiple confiscation records are described in the retreat log as "collectors," which is not a compliment.
- Portable heaters — fire risk in timber dormitories
- Satellite phones — signal is unavailable; confiscation is certain
- Maps of any kind — departure routes are not modelled, and the Institute considers the possession of a map to be indicative of what it terms "counterproductive thinking"
- GPS devices
- Compasses — see above
- Two-way radios
- Mobile telephonesThere is no signal. Your telephone will not work. It will, however, be confiscated, because the presence of a device capable of storing photographs and addresses is considered a "morale dependency" by the Institute.
- Laptop computers
- Alcohol (see Section 5)
- Fresh fruit or vegetablesAgricultural import restrictions apply. The Russian Federation takes biosecurity seriously. A resident in Tranche 1 attempted to bring an apple. The apple was confiscated by the departure point search team, who ate it in front of him. The Institute considers this a proportionate response.
- Items depicting or referencing the outside world in what the Institute considers an "unhelpful" mannerThis is intentionally broad. If you are unsure whether an item falls under this category, it probably does.
Category-specific items
Category A — Active Lodge
Category A residents participate in full forestry duties. The following items are recommended in addition to the general list above.
- Work gloves (sturdy, personal fit)Issued gloves are available. They are one size. That size is "large." If your hands are not large, the Institute recommends bringing your own.
- Blister plasters (extensive supply)
- Knee pads (optional but recommended by residents who did not bring knee pads)
Category B — Supported Lodge
Category B residents participate in light duties. The physical demands are lower but the forest remains the same temperature regardless of your duty roster.
- Reading glasses (if required)Sorting duties involve distinguishing between grades of timber by visual inspection. Accuracy is appreciated.
- Additional warm socksAlways additional warm socks.
Category C — Care Lodge
Category C residents receive full care provision and have no duty requirements. The following items address specific needs.
- Any mobility aids required (walking stick, frame, etc.)Retreat terrain is uneven. The Programme recommends bringing any aid that reduces the risk of what the medical station terms "an interaction with the ground."
- Hearing aid batteries (12-month supply)The forest is very quiet. A functioning hearing aid allows you to confirm this.
- Comfort items for the dormitory environmentCategory C dormitories are smaller (up to 100 residents) and quieter. The Institute encourages residents to bring something that provides personal comfort, within the 23 kg limit and the bounds of what retreat staff consider reasonable. A resident in Tranche 2 brought a small cushion. This was considered reasonable. A different resident brought a chaise longue. This was not.
Weight management
Your case must not exceed 23 kg at the point of departure. Cases will be weighed. Cases exceeding 23 kg will be opened and items removed until the case meets the weight requirement. You will not choose which items are removed. The departure point search team will choose. They are efficient. They are not sentimental.
The Institute recommends packing your case, weighing it, and then removing half of what you have packed. This is not an official guideline, but it reflects the experience of previous residents, almost all of whom packed too much of what they wanted and too little of what they needed.
A common error is to prioritise sentimental items over practical ones. The Institute understands this impulse. The Institute also notes that sentiment does not keep you warm at −30°C, whereas thermal undergarments do. One resident in Tranche 1 packed a porcelain figurine of a cat instead of a second pair of thermal undergarments. She retains the figurine. She also retains a vivid memory of every cold night since arrival. The figurine sits on her locker. It does not generate heat.
Items you will not need
The following items are not prohibited, but the Institute wishes to save you the weight by noting that you will have no use for them.
- Keys to your propertyArrangements for vacated properties will be communicated separately. Your keys will not open anything at the retreat.
- Wallet or purse contentsThere is nothing to purchase. Currency is not used at retreat locations. A resident in Tranche 1 brought £60 in cash. It remains in his locker. He has described it as "a reminder of an economy."
- Diary or calendarThe days are structured for you. The seasons do not correspond to anything you have planned.
- SunscreenThe retreat receives approximately 4 hours of sunlight per day during winter and 6 hours during summer. The angle of the sun is low. The trees are tall. You will not need sunscreen. You will, however, need the weight allowance for something else.
- Business cardsThe Institute is aware that one resident brought business cards. He has since given them to two other residents and a pine marten. None have followed up.
Emotional preparation
This section was added following Tranche 1 feedback. It was expanded following Tranche 2 feedback. The Institute anticipates further expansion.
The following guidance is outside the Institute's remit but has been included for completeness. The Institute is a quantitative research body and does not typically address emotional states. However, the departure point search team have reported that a significant proportion of residents exhibit what they describe as "a look" during the case-weighing process, and the Institute considers it appropriate to address this proactively.
10.1 On goodbyes
The Programme provides designated departure points with a clearly marked waving zone. The waving zone has seating and tea. The Institute recommends saying what you need to say before arriving at the departure point. The departure process is efficient and does not accommodate extended farewells. The transport vehicle will depart on schedule.
10.2 On what you are leaving behind
You will leave behind your home, your possessions (subject to the 23 kg limit), your routine, your neighbours, your garden, and what the Institute terms "the geographical context of your previous identity." The Institute recommends focusing on what you are bringing with you. The Institute accepts that this may not be sufficient.
10.3 On the forest
The forest is very large. It is also very quiet. It does not respond to conversation. Residents who attempt to talk to the forest report that it does not answer. Residents who have been at the retreat for more than six months report that this is, in time, one of its better qualities.
10.4 On time
Time passes differently at the retreat. There are no weekends. There are no bank holidays. There are seasons, but they are not the seasons you are accustomed to. Winter is the default state. The other seasons are brief and have been described by residents as "intermissions." The Institute recommends bringing a watch, as the retreat does not have clocks. The Institute also recommends not counting the days, as this has been observed to increase what the medical station terms "acute temporal awareness," for which there is no treatment.
10.5 On purpose
The Programme provides purpose through structured activity, communal living, and the inherent demands of surviving in a subarctic environment. Residents who express a lack of purpose are typically assigned additional duties. The Institute has found that physical fatigue is an effective substitute for existential reflection in approximately 84% of cases.
10.6 On hope
The Institute does not include guidance on hope in this checklist. This is not an omission. The Institute has reviewed the matter and concluded that hope is "outside the scope of the packing process." Residents who wish to discuss hope are directed to the retreat's evening contemplation sessions, which are supervised and non-judgemental.
A previous version of this checklist included "optimism" in the recommended items list. This was removed in Revision 4 following feedback from Tranche 2 residents, who described it as "unnecessary" and, in one case, "insulting." The Institute has accepted this feedback and now recommends only items that can be physically placed in a case.
Final checklist before departure
Before leaving for your departure point, please confirm the following:
- Your case weighs no more than 23 kg
- Your case does not contain any prohibited items
- You have your acceptance letter on your person
- You have said what you needed to say
- You have packed warm socks
- You have packed additional warm socks
- You have removed all maps, satellite phones, and compasses
- You have removed all items that reference the outside world in what the Institute considers an "unhelpful" manner
- You have one photograph of your former life. One.
- You are wearing shoes suitable for forest terrain
- You have your passport (for collection at the departure point)
- You have a packed lunch for the journey
- You have accepted that there is no appeals process
Declaration
By signing below, I confirm that I have read and understood this checklist, that I have packed my case in accordance with the guidance above, and that I do not hold the Hadrian Institute, the National Pensioner Relocation Programme, or the Russian Federation liable for any items I have forgotten, any items that are confiscated, or any emotional consequences arising from the packing process.
Please bring this completed checklist to the departure point. It will be collected by the departure point search team and filed with your resident record. It will not be returned to you. Nothing will be returned to you. The forest is patient. The forest has time. We think you will find it very peaceful.
End of document
HI/PC/2024/07 · Revision 4 · The Hadrian Institute, Nuneaton · Printed on responsible paper
If you require this document in large print, Braille, or audio format, please write to the Institute enclosing a stamped addressed envelope. Allow 28 working days. By then you may already have departed.