"I'll tell you how a disabled person survives in a trailer." The former mayor of a Vladimir village invited us on a tour of his trailer. His house burned down more than three years ago.
Former headman of Vladimir village of Kumino Yuryev-Polsky district Yuri Balabonkin He invited the guests on a tour. He promised to show them his daily life and tell them about his life—how his house was set on fire, how he moved into a temporary shelter, and how he was fighting for decent housing.
"I'll show you and tell you how a disabled person survives in a temporary shelter. This is my fourth winter living here. I'll tell you how dangerous it is to be a village head in the Yuryev-Polsky district, how dangerous it is for people to do anything." called He addressed the tourists in a video message.
Balabonkin told NeMoskva that living in the trailer will be a little easier this winter: he installed a windbreak and re-roofed it. There have been no changes to his housing application.
"They won't do anything. Giving me a place to live would mean admitting they're to blame for my misfortune. I don't know what's next. It's awkward to ask people for money to build a house, and right now the worst house we have costs two and a half million, a slightly better one costs five." - he specified.
His health is deteriorating: he needs surgery on his leg, but he couldn't go to the hospital this summer because of his garden. If he neglects the garden, there won't be anything to eat. He needs to go to bed now, but now his mother is sick, and Balabonkin is helping her.
When Balabonkin was elected village head, he began demanding that the authorities pay attention to the village, accomplishing much on his own and with the help of like-minded people. In 2020, he was severely beaten, early the following year his house was burned down, and last year, his dog, Mishka, was poisoned.
Balabonkin is trying to draw attention to the problem: he addressed from his temporary residence to Putin, he filmed video, how he celebrated New Year's in a trailer, but to no avail. He says that tours for concerned citizens are the only remaining hope for change.
More about Balabonkin’s situation - on the NeMoskva website.
