Attempt to demolish Gypsy family's house undertaken in Volgograd

On October 26 in the morning, in the village of Verkhnaya Elshanka of the city of Volgograd, unidentified people attempted to destroy the house belonging to Gypsy family named Goganov. The Gypsy community supported the relatives and appealed to the police.

On October 27, the conflict situation is to be discussed at the City Mayoralty and the City Prosecutor's Office.

The representatives of the Gypsy community told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that they lived in the village of Verkhnaya Elshanka since 1990. Several years ago, the Gypsy community sold the houses and moved to Arkhangelsk Region for permanent place of residence; however, local residents burned out their houses, and the Gypsy community returned to Verkhnaya Elshanka. They have built a new village in the wasteland. Since then, during seven years, they try to legalize the right to land.

"Both Mayors (Evgeny Ischenko, Roman Grebennikov, - note of the "Caucasian Knot") promised to help us with registration of the land at once, as soon as the relevant law appears," Zora Gaganovsky, the head of the Gypsy community of Verkhnaya Elshanka, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. He continued: "They reassured us not worry and said that everything would be registered step by step. They said that no one would disturb us."

Zora Gaganovsky emphasized that, till recent time, the Gypsy community had no problems. According to him, the Mayoralty had constructed a water supply for them: water hydrant is available in the street, and earlier the members of the Gypsy community took water from the wells of their Russian neighbours.

The head of the Gypsy community said that the problem started in the autumn of 2011, when an entrepreneur leased the land on which the Romany houses were situated. According to the Gypsies, "in contrast to their situation, the entrepreneur's lease has been registered in the shortest possible time". According to them, one land plot has been already oversold, and on October 26 unidentified people began to attempt to demolish the house belonging to Goganov family, where 12 people, including 6 children and 2 disabled people, live.

"We have received no notification that they want to evict us and to demolish our house," Vladimir Goganov, the head of the family, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, "Today, some people approached us and began to threaten me, insult my family. And then they began to destroy our house. We explained them that we would not allow demolishing the house. We called the police; however, the policemen failed to arrive during two hours."

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent examined the damage of the house and appealed to the police. The officer on duty said that the police officers went on call; however, the policemen met no Gypsy at that address. According to the source, the policemen switched on a siren; however, no result follows.

Vladimir Goganov denied this information. "In our village, the news of the arrival of strangers, especially the police, spread quickly. They were not here," the owner of the house stated.

According to Goganov, on October 26 in the afternoon, the police came to the village. "The deputy head of the District OVD (Interior Division) arrived. He introduced himself as Roman Viktorovich. They recorded the damage inflicted to the house, took our evidences and promised to invite the leaseholder for conversation," Vladimir Goganov reported.

According to Zora Gaganovsky, the head of the Gypsy community, "to evict people from their houses on the eve of the winter, without prior notification, is inadmissible".

The community leader says that the Gypsies are ready to appeal to the court and other authorities. "We'll appeal to the Mayoralty, to the Prosecutor's Office. We'll seek truth and justice," Zora Gaganovsky concluded.

At present, the "Caucasian Knot" has no comments on the situation with the house, belonging to Goganov family, from the administrative authorities of Volgograd.