Yuliya Lynch
Perm, Russia
Perm Regional Assistance Center
See here for photos
My responsibilities in this Center include translation of their webpage and other documents into English and assist in filling out the applications for grants. Also, I participate in round tables, discussions, listen to complaints of citizens, and review the materials of court decisions.
Today, I will write about the topic that shocks even me considering I am Russian and know how the things work here. Not only the government doesn’t provide orphans with housing as it promised, but takes away their children because orphans don’t have a place to live.
In poor conditions orphans lived for 18 years and then the only home they have (an orphanage) the government takes away compensating the orphans with a sweet promise of their own home. The media have been talking about this issue, but no result. Our Center wrote about it and represented orphans in courts. Moreover, the Center helped their clients to win the law suits, but the government simply replayed they do not have money to provide orphans with housing. So sorry. However, the city of Perm just this summer invested millions of dollars in the infrastructure of the city because the mayor wants Perm to be a cultural capital of Russia. There is 2,500 orphans, who need a home.
In my opinion, before the local government decides to turn the city into cultural capitol, they should keep their promises to its citizens. The orphans would appreciate the housing and the company of their children more than a nice looking street.
Today, once again, the couple walked into the doors of our Center. The government promised them an apartment, technically a small room in the apartment, but still a roof over their heads. Well, the time passed, no housing was provided. Once again, the government doesn’t have funds; they cannot fulfill its promise. They went to court and the judge agreed that the government must provide them with a house to live in. In addition, to the housing situation of this couple, they are waiting for their first child. It is a real possibility that the child services will take their child away. So, Perm will be a cultural capital of Russia, where 2,500 orphans live with no roof under their heads and with a fear that the child services may take away their children because they have nowhere to live.
Why does the Russian government create a law and publicly announce the program for the orphans? In my opinion, the administration just wants to show off and to “prove” that Russia is a democratic country that cares about low income class citizens.