Residents of a village in northern Primorye can't afford firewood: prices have doubled. Meanwhile, Russian timber is regularly exported.
The village of Terney has a population of about 11,000, most of which are privately owned. But not everyone can afford firewood for this winter. A resident told NeMoskva that last year, 10 cubic meters of "long-stem" firewood—the uncut round sections of tree trunks—cost about 23,000 rubles, while this year it's up to 40,000-46,000 rubles. Meanwhile, the average salary in the village is about 30,000 rubles, and pensions are even lower.
Village residents brought the pricing situation to the attention of the authorities back in the summer. However, the government reported that "the price is determined by the entrepreneur independently, including the costs of raw materials, transportation, storage, and inflation." However, according to the governor's order, one cubic meter of firewood cannot cost more than 3,500 rubles. Beneficiaries, SVO participants, and their families receive a subsidy of 1,303.11 rubles.
At the same time, Russian timber is regularly exported. In 2024, Russia sold 19,9 million cubic meters of timber—this volume would be enough to heat half of Russia's stove-heated homes.
"I can say one thing: people in the village are upset. And not all pensioners receive firewood subsidies. On average, 15-20 cubic meters of firewood are needed for the winter, maybe more, depending on the house and whether it has a sauna. It's very expensive, more expensive than in apartments," said a village resident.
He added that, theoretically, a person could be allocated a forest firewood allotment per year—a single forest plot. This would also require payment, but at a lower cost—purchases would be calculated based on tree species and volume. However, harvesting it also presents challenges. Firewood could be chopped on unleased plots, and all the work could be done independently.
"It's complicated: there are no access roads to the plot, and the forestry department lacks heavy equipment to build a road to it. A regular vehicle can't reach the designated plot; it requires large equipment because they're located in hard-to-reach areas," said a Terney resident.
Firewood prices in Russia are rising sharply every year: since 2000, the price per cubic meter has increased 28-fold. Meanwhile, the country uses approximately 40 million cubic meters of firewood annually just for heating homes and saunas. According to According to the "Earth Touches Everyone" project, this is due to poor forest management practices, bans on forestry in rural areas, and complex procedures for selling unwanted timber. Factors that make firewood "golden" also include repressive regulations on the timber trade and a ban on transferring it to others after it has been harvested or mined—it can't even be transported without special permits and satellite equipment.
While villagers are short of firewood, Russian timber is regularly exported. In 2024, Russia sold 19,9 million cubic meters of timber—an 8% increase in 2023. This volume would be enough to heat half of Russia's stove-heated homes.