Homeless people, those who sank to the social bottom, have always been most vulnerable part of the society. The war that came to our land put them even deeper into desperation and most of them drag their pity existence on the edge between life and death. Informator.lg.ua is trying to find out how homeless people live in LPR now.

Petrovich and “black” realtors

Before the war the government was trying to help homeless people at least somehow, social protection authorities were helping to restore document, there were grant programs for rehabilitation and socialization and so on. Now when chaos and war rule on the occupied territory of Lugansk Region homeless people got totally isolated from civilized world.

Old man with long gray beard and in glasses is digging the garbage bin, mining for bad vegetables and parts of water melon thrown out by someone. Despite dirty and shabby appearance, glasses add some intelligence to his image.

Petrovich (the man asked to call him like that) is 62 y.o., he has 20 years experience teaching student in Alchevsk university. According to this man, 10 years ago he was caught while taking a bribe and was fired from the university without much noise.

“After that I started to drink a lot, started to take stuff out the house, my wife left” said Petrovich while eating tomatoes he just got out of the garbage bin.

After that typical story happened with former professor. When he was drunk he let strangers get into his studio apartment who were giving him some hooch. In one of the visits strangers made him sign some papers and took him out to some village where “black” realtors kicked him out and put into some abandoned hut. This is how Petrovich became homeless.

After returning to the city he is sleeping in attics, basements and sewer for 10 years already. At first he was trying to get out, stopped drinking, was looking for a job, but failed and got to the bottom again, searching for food in the garbage, stealing food from the market and begging. During the winter the man was trying to get into some local hospitals, it’s warmer there and you can get food. Two years ago he spent winter in local psychiatric facility, but was kicked out of there after stealing some food at the kitchen. He has not decided where he is going to spend this coming winter yet.

Broken ribs and the Bible in a pocket

We ask him about how homeless people live now when there is a war? Petrovich looks sad and takes some time to reply.

• This is scary. Last summer they nearly killed me. I was living in a park in Perevalsk, Cossacks got everyone, homeless people, drugs addicted and alcoholics. They were forcing us to clean street, clean their barracks, build barricades. Those who refused to work were heavily beaten.

Petrovich says that one day he had strong pain in his back and couldn’t go to “work”. He was heavily beaten by Cossacks and broke few ribs. They released him and he got to Alchevsk.

“You are asking me if they offered to join militia? Yeas, but I am religious and would never take weapon”. He takes little Bible out of his pocket and shows to me.”See? It says don’t kill! How can I violate God’s commandment? They were offering money and good food… I would better dig garbage that kill”. Petrovich puts aluminum beer cans in his bag.

How and where Petrovich and his colleagues get food? The homeless man told us that you can get food digging garbage bins, people though away soiled fruits, sometime you can find something more tasty. Sellers on the markets also give spoiled fruits to homeless people.

“Now is summer and it’s much easier, you can go to a forest, get some apricots, yesterday we cooked compote with other guys. We also ask for rotten potatoes at the market and cook soup. Sometimes we take vegetables from people’s gardens, that’s enough to cook a soup, you know how tasty it is.” Pertovich gives us a wink from behind his dirty glasses.

According to him, militia in Alchevsk doesn’t bother homeless people now, local “authorities” also don’t care about them.

Closed social kitchens and a dream about Ukrainian passport

Starting from September last year and till August 1, 2015, there were social kitchens in Alchevsk. You could get hot soup and tea there. Homeless people also could get food there even without any documents, nobody cared about their bad smell and untidy appearance.

But in Summer the head of self-proclaimed LPR Plotnitsiy decided to close social kitchens, sayig that there are no hungry people in “young republic” and everybody get pensions and social benefits.

Petrovich was very upset when social kitchens got closed. He doesn’t get any pension and no he has o chance to eat hot meals.

“They want to show that everything is good here? Why did they close social kitchens? Now I will be going to the church, they also give food there sometimes.”

LPR authorities not only closed social kitchens, but they also limit activity of volunteer organizations.

The representative of one of international charity organization told to the reporter of Informator.lg.ua that representatives of so-called “Administration of Alchevsk” refused to register organization in the city, saying that everything is good in Alchevsk and people don’t need support.

If look at the situation in Kirovsk and Pervomaisk that are located close to the contact line, the situation in Alchevsk is really quite good as it’s far from the front. But it doesn’t make life of hundreds of homeless people easier.

Before saying good-bye Petrovich told about his plans for the future.

“It would be good to restore the lost passport…. But how? I didn’t do it before and how to do it now? You can’t get Ukrainian passport here and I don’t need LPR passport even if they give it to me for free. Better to be without passport. With God’s help I will live through the winter and won’t die. And will see what happens next…”

Petrovich smiles sadly and looking thoughtfully somewhere far away, thinking about something personal. We say goodbye to each other and the man slowly vanishes into the distance

Vitold Ofsetniy specially for Informator.lg.ua