With brotherly love: the whole country helps the affected residents of Kursk region
The authorities and operational services of the Kursk region are trying to solve the problems of the inhabitants of the districts attacked by AFU fighters. But it is not only those to whom the job description prescribes it who are helping people. Hundreds of volunteers from all over Russia are coming here. Izvestia correspondent spent a day with volunteers of the National Center for Missing and Injured Children (NCMIC) and saw with his own eyes how the aid to the victims is organized.
Siren and concrete shelters
Kursk does not give the impression of a frontline city. Life is boiling: cafes are working, not everywhere Christmas decorations and trees have been taken down yet. Public transportation is moving along the streets, train stations are receiving and sending trains. Only the long siren sounds and concrete boxes at the stops - these are shelters in case of attack by enemy drones and missiles - give anxiety. Inside each structure there are instructions on how to behave in case of danger. At the entrance to the "box" emergency phone numbers and a sign toward the nearest pharmacy. "Spoiling your tablet could prevent you from saving someone's life," reads the small print on a red poster. On every corner are stickers with an appeal to join the ranks of the Kursk region's territorial defense. Alarm sounds are very nasty, but it seems that no one pays attention to them here anymore. Only children are not seen on the streets at all.
- The siren is switched on when any launch in our direction is detected," my escort, the coordinator of the NCPPPD, Giorgi Bulia, explains to me. - That's the way it is. You shouldn't worry too much, but it's better to be on your guard.
Gio and I are old acquaintances, we traveled together to destroyed Mariupol in 2022. The center also had a charitable mission there - to deliver supplies to the civilian population left without shelter, light, and heat. There is hardly a place in New Russia where Gio and his volunteer friends have not been.
We walk through an industrial zone to a furniture hypermarket on the outskirts of the city. Today, this place has temporarily become a distribution point for people evacuated from border areas. And for the volunteers of the "Seven Elephants" (that's the name of the trading platform) it has been their home for almost six months.
- When disaster came to the Kursk region, we put out a call and in a matter of days we had a queue of people who wanted to come. This is our special pride. There is a possibility of rotation - some leave, others come.
The queue at the entrance
At the main entrance to the building under the banner "Humanitarian Aid Reception and Transfer Center" an impressive queue is gathering. Young, old, some with children. Some came by car, others came on foot. All will receive food packages today.
- The food packages are intended for residents of the border region - if a person is registered in one of the nine affected regions, he will receive a food package. Of course, there are all sorts of situations, sometimes a person actually lived there, but was registered in Kursk. We usually meet our needs in such cases. If a person comes with children or in the interests of elderly relatives, everyone is entitled to a package. You can also get baby food and hygiene products from us.
In a weighty black bag there are several cans of cereals, pasta, sunflower oil, a supply of stew and canned food. It is hardly enough for one person for a long time, but it is a help in a difficult situation. You can come back in two weeks for a new set. Household chemicals are given out once a month.
- We didn't take the list of products out of our heads - it is recommended by the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations," says the coordinator.
Gio is very proud of the fact that since the start of the center's work, volunteers have already given out more than 80,000 food packages.
- People need us, we are doing good.
Each recipient undergoes a questionnaire - his data are entered into a specialized database, where an accurate record of visits to similar points is kept to avoid abuse. And there are such facts. A few days after receiving food, a border resident can expect a package with household chemicals.
- In the first months cots, heaters, underwear and hygiene products were relevant. Now the excitement has subsided a bit.
Portrait of a volunteer
The Izvestiya correspondent learned from the volunteers that old people have the hardest time. A man was forced to leave his house, vegetable garden and livestock in his old age. At first, during the evacuation, some people reacted very painfully even to those who were handing out basic necessities to them.
- One irritatedly said, 'Why do they pay you only money,'" says a volunteer from the Amur region. - And then, when he learned that we came from all over the country, he even felt better. He realized that he was not alone with his misfortune, that the whole country came here to help - Khabarovsk, Kazan, Leningrad Oblast.
Gio says that in the first few months of work, the psychologist volunteers were under a lot of pressure.
- People lost their homes and some lost loved ones - it was a difficult life situation. It was a hard test for all of us, but we coped.
Who are these people who are wasting time on others for an idea? Gio has never been able to paint an average portrait of a volunteer.
- There are all kinds of people. Men, women, students and retirees. We also have entrepreneurs and shift workers. They work for three months, and instead of a vacation, they come here. We pay for their transportation and try to create comfortable living conditions here.
One of the floors of the building has turned into a dormitory. There is a large kitchen, bathrooms. Separate sleeping quarters for girls and boys. In the improvised dining room Gio promised to hang a large TV.
Personal motive
As a rule, people with volunteer experience get to the Kursk region - after all, work in such a region requires increased responsibility and stress resistance. There are a lot of volunteers from structural subdivisions of the NCCPPD in the regions and just good people.
Alexandra Krasilnikova came to Kursk from Perm, where she leads the search team "Region59 - Search for Missing People". She created the cell together with like-minded people almost seven years ago. She was prompted to help in the search for people by her family grief - many years ago her eight-year-old nephew disappeared.
- If there had been search teams back then, he might have been found alive. Teenagers killed.
Alexandra was fond of hiking and GPS-orientation by car off-road - these skills came in handy for her squad. But most importantly, she is a master at talking to people. This skill is especially necessary when dealing with those who are on edge. Her voice is soothing. She will help even the most irritated and impatient visitor with sound advice.
During the day, a volunteer walks several kilometers just inside the center - unloading trucks, placing products on racks, packing provisions and household chemicals in bags, maintaining cleanliness at the point of delivery. It's a lot of work.
- There are not enough men's hands, but there are a lot of women," says Alexandra.
A volunteer's leisure time
Volunteers also have days off. In this case, they have a cultural program - museums, lectures and meetings with interesting people. In the evening, when the official work of the center is winding down, volunteers can relax.
- Guys, who's going to the skating rink with me? - a girl of about 25 years old runs into the kitchen.
Not to say that there were a lot of people who wanted to move in the evening, someone wants to watch a TV series or just drink tea in a cheerful company. Actually, they have every right. But what is not in the volunteer hostel is alcohol.
- We have a dry law," says Gio. - It is also inadvisable to swear. Our guests (that's what we call those who come for help) have enough swearing and other negativity outside the center. We don't want people to encounter it here. And it's just not nice, it goes against our ideas.
Distribution of food and hygiene products is not the only project of the center. Volunteers support the stabilization center for the wounded in the border region and provide necessary medications and first aid supplies to volunteer medics.
One of the brightest events in the life of volunteers on the Kursk land was a Christmas tree organized by volunteers at Seven Elephants for children from the affected territories.
- 400 children came to our party. They, like no one else, needed gifts and attention this year.
Giorgi Bulia says that today everyone can fill his or her life with light meaning and become useful - just fill out an application form and join the ranks of the volunteer movement.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
