WW II veteran from Volgograd complains about living conditions

Vasily Kuzmin, an invalid and a veteran of the Great Patriotic War, for more than 15 years lives in unacceptable housing conditions; however, the Mayoralty refuses to put him on the list of the persons in need of improving housing conditions, say his relatives and the head of the local NGO, a lawyer Gayane Kocharyan. The veteran himself complains that officials remember about him only on the Victory Day, but render no real help.

In 1999, Kuzmin and his wife moved from the village of Tupiki, Saratov Region, to Volgograd to their daughter Lyubov Kuzmina. The City Veterinary Service, in whose yard the Kuzmina’s house is located, allowed the pensioners to temporarily occupy the guest house, Gayane Kocharyan, the head of the Volgograd City NGO "Armenian Diaspora", who helps the veteran to obtain some housing, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"The living conditions in the daughter's apartment and the guest house are unacceptable, as there are no toilet and bathroom there," said the lawyer.

Vasily Kuzmin had applied to the department of housing policy of the city and the administration of the Kirov District of Volgograd asking to put him on the waiting list of veterans and war veterans in need of improving their housing conditions. He also turned to the reception office of the Russian President in Volgograd; but everywhere he received refusals.

"I’ve never thought that the government will forget about me at the end of my life. Bureaucrats remember about me only on the Victory Day; they come to congratulate me and to give a greeting card on behalf of the government or some deputies – and that’s all. There is no real help,” Vasily Kuzmin told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.