“Rooms without amenities, no doctors”: what awaits Belgorod residents in temporary accommodation centers

More than a hundred residents of the regional center have already moved from their homes to the Stary Oskol hotel

On behalf of Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, temporary accommodation centers are being created in the Belgorod region and neighboring regions for Belgorod residents who want to leave their homes for a while. More than 100 Belgorod residents moved from their homes to temporary accommodation centers.

MK found out what conditions the evacuees were being placed in and whether problems might arise for those who asked for help.

According to the governor, Belgorod residents can evacuate to Stary Oskol and Gubkino. The head of the Stary Oskol urban district, Andrei Chesnokov, got involved in the case. He noted that Belgorod residents were provided with warm, comfortable rooms. Families were given food packages, conducted a survey, provided three meals a day, and were given the opportunity to contact doctors. “We are ready to provide comfortable accommodation for our fellow countrymen for as long as necessary,” writes the head of the district.

According to Belgorod residents who applied for relocation, they are mainly offered accommodation in one of the hotels in Stary Oskol. Reviews of this hotel say that there are no amenities in the rooms. On the floors there is a common bathroom with toilet and shower. The kitchen is also shared, equipped with a refrigerator, microwave, kettle and stove. A couple of people complained about the cold in the rooms.

Many Belgorod residents thanked Gladkov for his work, and noted that in the video he looks “very tired.”

However, this accommodation option did not suit all residents of Belgorod. It turns out that pets are not allowed in the rooms. “Yesterday I was offered to stay in a hotel in Stary Oskol, leaving my Yorkie in a room with another family for 5 people. Please, people shouldn’t be forced to choose whether to abandon their animals or not,” Angela asks. Several commenters also encountered this problem. Some had to rent housing on their own, while others are still waiting for help from the regional authorities.

Some people have questions regarding the hotline. “We asked for accommodation in a safer place with two children (one year old and 4 years old). It was suggested that we go to a hotel where there is no dining room or cafe, and it is impossible to prepare food on our own. It is simply impossible to be in such conditions with two children; they need to be provided with fresh hot food. I received a specific answer from the employee: “We can only provide accommodation and, if necessary, organize travel to Stary Oskol, meals are not provided.” However, in the comments, representatives of the Belgorod operational headquarters responded that those in temporary accommodation centers are provided with food at the expense of the hosting party.

“MK” tried to personally find out what living conditions are provided to those wishing to evacuate. We were told that lists are currently being formed, after which after some time specialists will call back and inform about the placement location.

In addition to the option with the Belgorod region, residents are ready to be received in Voronezh. According to local authorities, several families have already arrived in the region. “Understanding the complexity of the situation, we invited our neighbors to use our temporary accommodation centers. If necessary, we will prepare even more places,” said the governor of the Voronezh region, Alexander Gusev, in his Telegram channel.

“MK” got through to the operational duty officer in the Voronezh administration. We said that we would like to transport our grandmother from Belgorod to Voronezh. We were told that she could be placed at a recreation center 25 kilometers from the city. Meals are provided. “They won’t leave anyone hungry,” the duty officer assured. However, there are no doctors at the recreation center, and there is no transport to the city.

The possibility for residents of the regional center to move to Stary Oskol and Gubkin, remote from the border with Ukraine, became known on January 5. Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said that if there is a shortage of places in temporary accommodation centers, he will turn to the heads of other regions for help.