A 26-year-old Belarusian man escaped from...

Some said the 26 year-old Belarusian national scaled the outer prison wall, which was covered with razor wire, while others suggested he "jumped over the prison fence and the razor wire like a contestant at the Olympics."

Below are facts about the prison and escapes from it:

* Butyrka is one of Russia"s oldest penitentiary facilities. Though the modern building was constructed in 1879, the prison is mentioned in official documents which date back to the 17th century.

* Until early 20th century Butyrka was considered an "escape-proof" prison. Though there are rumors that revolutionary Felix Dzerzhinsky was the first inmate ever to escape the prison, but they have never been confirmed by official documents. According to the legend, the future Cheka (forerunner to the KGB) head left the jail after hiding inside a garbage container.

* In 1908, U.S. stunt man Harry Houdini made a bet with Moscow authorities that he could escape from any prison in the Russian

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