For children, deer, and squirrels! How "village fools" took their small homeland seriously and became a danger to the authorities.
"Old people who have lived here their entire lives, fought in the Great Patriotic War, gave birth to and raised children, worked for the country, look into our eyes and cry: 'Girls, boys, do something, save us from this misfortune.'" — a resident talks about the reaction of the elderly to the decision to build a large landfill near their villages Stebaevskoye rural settlement in the Lipetsk region.
Residents are concerned about the threat of construction of an eco-technopark near populated areas 9 villages and hamlets learned Autumn 2021 yearSince then, they've been trying to convince the authorities that it's unacceptable to create a "regional garbage dump" in a place where springs flow and squirrels and deer roam. Recently, police came to the activists' homes and accused them of causing psychological trauma to their children by photographing them with protest signs. What other methods are the authorities resorting to to suppress peaceful protests and destroy the environment in rural communities, and even the entire region? Read the article "NeMoskva Speaks."
Billions of rubles against "sectarians"
Between the A-133 highway and the village of Krugloe in the Stebaevskoye rural settlement conceived Lipetsk authorities will build an eco-technopark, including a solid municipal waste landfill with a capacity of 100 thousand tons per year, waste sorting complex with capacity 200 thousand tons per year, composting organic matter and burying waste sorting residues even further 100 thousand tons per year.
The eco-technopark was allocated 40 ha — that's roughly the size of 56 football fields. The land has already been leased to the concessionaire, OOO Stroyselkhozgarant, which no experience In the construction of similar facilities: until now, the commercial enterprise has been planting beets and other useful crops and managing real estate. The company recently received the OKVED code corresponding to its future activities. And it's worth it: we're talking about developing 3,4 billion rubles.
The Stebaevskoye rural settlement includes the villages and settlements of Arkhangelsk Borki, Gudovka, Dolgaya, Krugloe, Lozy, Mahovishche, Nikolskoye, Stebaevo, and Cheremushki. The population about 1 thousand registered citizens, slightly more if you include summer residents and those not registered in their own homes. Of these, not a single one voted in favor of the construction of the eco-technopark at the public hearing (on the transfer of land from agricultural to special-purpose land) on November 22, 2021. The exception was three village council members. Locals now avoid them like the plague, perplexed: how can anyone betray their native land?
If a "massive landfill" were to appear, most residents would have nowhere to escape the stench and other "charms" of such a neighborhood: some have lived here their entire lives and have no "backup airfield," while others sold their urban real estate to settle down and raise their children in the fresh air, drinking spring water.
When people began to defend their right to clean air and water by all legal means, the head of the regional department of internal policy Lyubov Frolova hinted on the involvement of locals with the Anastasian sectarians:
"If the interest is in land speculation, then after the construction of such a facility, its value will plummet. Rest assured, the cedar huggers [a reference to the Ringing Cedars of Russia movement] and the herbalists will compete fiercely for this money.".
And when she spoke about "conducting their 'shamanic' rituals with fires and drums", the activists realized: Frolova found it on the activist's VKontakte page Olga Popova video. It shows people relaxing around a campfire.
The accusations from families who simply don't want to smell the landfill stench didn't end there.
Lots of squirrels and a tale of "mental disorder"
A police officer showed up at Popova's home on May 18. He stated that a complaint had been filed against the family, alleging that their children were being sent to school instead of attending school. I have to take pictures with protest posters.
Complaint the head of the district administration wrote David ToduaHe assessed children's participation in activities to protect their native nature as follows:
"I believe that teenagers involved in this event are at risk of becoming involved in delinquency and crime. Organizers who recruit minors not only intrude into their privacy and education but also risk triggering mental health problems in children. Teenagers' participation in unauthorized rallies and protests is dangerous to their lives and health."
And he asked for an investigation to be carried out.
“I told the police on the phone that I wasn’t home and that I’d be there soon, but one of them still showed up to see my mother. She’s 76 years old, — Popova told NeMoskva. "Mom said she couldn't explain anything about the case. What's there to explain? We sold our apartment in Lipetsk, bought a plot of land here, and invested the money in building a house. We hadn't lived there for four months before they told us they were building a landfill. We drink spring water here, and for children, seeing a squirrel with her babies and other animals, and running around barefoot—that's normal, and now we have to destroy it?"
The Popov family spent a long time searching for an eco-friendly place to escape the city. They chose Cherry trees — despite the fact that the Stebaevskoye rural settlement has no signs of civilization other than a post office. Their three children have to be transported to a neighboring rural settlement for kindergarten, school, and the clinic. However, the Popovs have no intention of leaving their newfound homeland. On the contrary, they have decided to protect it from toxic leachate and landfill gases to the last.
"They say all sorts of things about us now! That we're cultists, that we bought the land for resale and profit. But we came here with the idea of raising our children here, having grandchildren, and raising them not in a polluted city, but on the land, in nature." — Popova continues.
Family Lyubov Sycheva She moved to this area not even from Lipetsk, but from Moscow, having also sold her property there. The Sychevs had enjoyed the fresh air for a little longer and had become accustomed to rural life, so they were among the first to join the fight for ecology. A police officer came to Lyubov's home that same day:
— I refused to write an explanation, citing 51 article The Constitution of the Russian Federation. He [the police officer] didn't even enter the house—he already understood everything. What's strange: the other day we heard the news that a boy was beaten in Lipetsk, and there was no one to respond. The police supposedly said everyone had gone to the SVO, the rest were busy with serious crimes. But for our souls, they immediately found police officers and time—to "expose terrible criminals." Our "crimes" consist of the fact that we have nowhere else to go; we have one home, and we are obliged to protect it and our children.
The police officer also visited Sycheva's son's homeroom teacher and asked her to confirm her child's identity. The mother remained unsure whether this was a necessary measure or another way to exert pressure, this time through the school.
Round doesn't count?
Ekaterina Panfyorova She lives in Arkhangelskiye Borki. When she moved from the city, she hoped to spend her entire life here with her family. Now, a landfill is supposed to be built 3,5 km from her house. She's perplexed:
"When the authorities were choosing the site, they completely discounted the residents of Krugloe. There are 11 of them, and they're elderly. They'll be located a kilometer and a half from the landfill's sanitary protection zone. And what about the old cemetery? The old people are crying, saying their dead will be buried in the garbage. The old people who lived here their entire lives, fought in the Great Patriotic War, gave birth to and raised children, worked for the country, look us in the eye and cry: 'Girls, boys, do something, save us from this disaster.'",” Panfyorova said about people’s experiences.
During this time, the initiative group compiled petition The activists, who opposed the construction of the eco-technopark, submitted over 50 applications to hold rallies and pickets, but were rejected under the pretext of "earlier applications for events from other groups." Those "other groups" always turned out to be NOD members. The activists created working chats to discuss future actions. They visited rural elders who hadn't learned to "chat."
According to three women, they initially negotiated with them, trying to explain that they "wouldn't even notice" the landfill's presence due to its modern equipment; regional media wrote about them.
— But the attitude was like this... you know, like towards village idiots, — Popova inserts. "They'd take the oldest people's phrases out of context and insert them into articles—it was unpleasant. And then the local media stopped reporting them, too. They must have banned them."
Over time, the number of active "resistance" groups dwindled: pressure was put on entrepreneurs and municipal employees—medical workers, kindergarten teachers, teachers, and postal workers. They were made to understand that they were now "under surveillance": they were called on the carpet for likes and comments on social media. They stopped speaking out openly, but continued to provide financial support. For example, when activists realized that their intention to reach a humane agreement with the authorities wasn't working, they decided to commission a public environmental assessment. Security Center wildlife, and people raised 300 rubles. It was tough for pensioners and public sector workers, but together they made it happen.
Magadan is just a stone's throw away
Besides emotions and the human desire to live in an ecologically clean place, there are also other obstacles to the organization of an eco-technopark here. The list of examples is endless, including a collection of jokes.
The design documentation states that an exploratory pit at the future landfill site was drilled in 2022 and surveyed in 2021. Instead of the specified 86 boreholes, an independent specialist was able to find only four. The designers stated that wastewater from the landfill will be delivered under a contract to a treatment facility in Magadan, 10,000 kilometers away. The documentation also mentions a recreation center that doesn't actually exist. Incidentally, this tangled mess is irrelevant, as the "Lipetsk District Ecotechnopark" is not included in the region's waste management plan. This meansthat the design itself is illegal.
The initiative group's choice of concessionaire company raised many questions. They visited the registered address. LLC "Stroyselkhozgarant" и discovered the building No windows, doors, floors, or roof. The company has one employee—the director. The authorized capital is 10,000 rubles.
And finally. The Commission Wildlife Conservation Center chaired Igor Shkradyuk reviewed the design documentation and issued a negative expert opinion. Specialists proved There's a high risk of toxic leachate leaking into the soil, which is literally permeated with springs and groundwater in the area. Nearby is a pond and the Repets River, which flows into the Don.
"The review by the expert commission of the OEE of the design documentation, including the environmental impact assessment materials, of the Lipetsk District Ecotechnopark project, planned for implementation at the address Russia, Lipetsk Oblast, Lipetsk District, Stebaevskoye rural settlement, land plot with cadastral number 48:13:1551501:168, showed that the design solutions contradict the legislation of the Russian Federation, have significant shortcomings in environmental, technical and social issues, do not ensure the environmental safety of the planned activity, the choice of the location of the planned activity does not meet the requirements of legislation on hydrogeological conditions, therefore, the project cannot be implemented," - says in concluding.
Possible poisoning of the aquifer means, for example, that residents of the village of Krugloe will be left without drinking water, as they still live without running water and draw their water from wells. This means that the water in the surrounding area, and subsequently the Don River, will be contaminated. However, not a single local media outlet or government website has published the results of this analysis. Officials continue speak about the great benefits of the eco-technopark for the nature of the native region.
Flash mob like a neighbor
Meanwhile, the rural community is awaiting the findings. final meeting state environmental review of the Lipetsk District Ecotechnopark. The meeting will take place on May 23. They trying to understandWill the authorities address all the blunders, fraud, and proven environmental hazards associated with the eco-technopark's construction? Will they take into account the four successful cases filed by activists against the district administration regarding the illegal transfer of agricultural land to a special-use category?
In support of families with children, whom the authorities have decided to save from “mental disorders”, a mass campaign has begun flashmobIt seems like all the kids in the village have already taken pictures with posters in defense of their native nature. The elderly have joined in, too.
"The country's greatest asset is its people! We are against the landfill in Stebaevsky rural settlement," "Your desire to live without waste will poison the health of 1000 people," "The majority party wants to poison the water in the Lipetsk region," "Clean air and water are the health of our children," — families and people take pictures with such inscriptions on posters they lay out Photos are posted online. Each post garners dozens of comments in which Lipetsk residents support their neighbors.
Families with children are the most active participants in this resistance. The younger ones still don't quite understand how this is possible. not to go for a walk, because it's hard to breathe outside. The teenagers, however, have lived in a polluted, stuffy city that's not particularly conducive to exploring nature. For the past year and a half, they've been terrified of losing their natural haven, which is why they're developing those "mental disorders." Todua, who is concerned about them, and other district and regional officials still have a chance to fix everything.
Photo: VK group "What's after us?", from Olga Popova's page