“There is no more heating”: residents of Buryatia spoke about unaffordable loans for firewood

The shop was closed

Residents of Buryatia lost free firewood. In order not to freeze, people were offered to buy wood themselves for 90 thousand rubles. People don’t have that kind of money. All that remains is to either freeze or take out loans. Local residents spoke about the collapse of firewood.

Olga lives in the city of Babushkin, which is 120 km from Ulan-Ude. It was this city and nearby villages that were deprived of firewood.

“We wrote a letter to the head of the Republic of Buryatia and collected signatures. So far, we’ve only received letters from the regional forestry department that firewood will not be allocated,” Olga began.

From year to year, families in Buryatia who live with stove heating were allocated 20 cubic meters of free firewood for the winter. This year the shop was closed.

“It is unknown why the district forestry department decided to refuse us,” the interlocutor continues. – They only allowed us to collect dead wood and cut dead wood (shrunken trees with roots). But there are nuances here too. For example, dead cedar wood is prohibited. You can only use pine or fir, which in our area is not enough to provide for the entire population.

It’s also not so easy with dead wood that lies on the ground and is covered with moss. We simply won’t find it, because it’s already covered with snow. If we find it, we’ll have to carry it on ourselves. It is prohibited to enter the forest by car. It’s incomprehensible to the mind, there is a continuous forest around us, and we are forbidden to go into the forest to pick up dust.

According to the interlocutor, the heating season in the city of Babushkin with a population of 4,300 people and nearby villages has essentially been disrupted.

“After all, 70 percent of our population lives with stove heating,” the woman continues. – Electricity is an unaffordable luxury for us. We are offered to purchase firewood from individual entrepreneurs. But they are located 120 km from us.

For 20 cubic meters of wood—that’s exactly what you need for the winter—you’ll have to pay 90 thousand rubles. Where can people get that kind of money? Unless you take out a loan. Our salaries average 40 thousand rubles, pensioners receive 15-20 thousand.

What follows is even more interesting. The news seemed to be extremely positive: people were offered to take checks from individual entrepreneurs for firewood and promised that social security would pay the costs. But…

“Social protection is located 70 km from us,” adds Olga. – We don’t have any suburban connections. The train runs every three days. Departs at four in the morning. You arrive at the station at five in the morning, you have to sit at the station, wait for the first buses. Then go to social security. But, most likely, they will compensate losses only to low-income people whose wages are less than the subsistence level.

Olga believes that people from these places actually survive in this way.

– By the way, we were also offered to buy pressed sawdust instead of firewood, which is not suitable for stove heating. Or dismantle dilapidated housing. But this is also dry wood, nothing. And in our district there are only one and a half houses left, which are now being cut down, but the problem will not go away.