This multi-storey residential building, known as a "candlestick" building, can be seen from almost any point in the Rostov microdistrict of Voenved. Designed in a modern architectural style and painted in light colors, it resembles a proud brigantine raising its snow-white sails. A lovingly maintained flower bed is located in front of the building, and a busy concierge is stationed at the entrance, occasionally scolding mischievous children. Overall, it is a respectable and cozy building. But this is only the impression of the uninitiated. Residents of the military town know that many of the apartments in this beautiful building have been filled with quiet sorrow for a long time. They are home to the families of military personnel who died in the North Caucasus.

... Zhanna Vorsina, the widow of Major Valery Vorsina, who was killed in Grozny in January 1995, maintains her dignity. She immediately agreed to meet with journalists. She is a military officer in one of the units of the Rostov garrison and works as a signalman. She has a ten-year-old daughter named Anna.

"There are about ten families like ours in the house," says Zhanna. "From the very beginning, we've been living in a kind of trusting commune. We've probably been united by a common problem. We often gather at someone's place, having tea and sharing our news.

They know everything about each other: how their children behave in kindergarten or at school, who has a leaky faucet in their kitchen, and how much the house plumber charges for repairs...

I've heard from older people that something similar happened in human relationships in the early post-war years. The only difference was that the entire country was a close-knit community back then.

Of course, each of these people has their own life: they need to work and raise their children, and they need to build and rebuild their relationships with the outside world, which is not always friendly or humane. But they also have a lot in common. To a certain extent, their commune can be considered a reflection of a significant portion of our fellow citizens who have been brutally scarred by war.

In general, they didn't have any particular problems with obtaining housing. We must give credit to the leadership of the Ministry of Defense and the command of the North Caucasus Military District. Today, none of the families of officers and warrant officers who died in the Chechen Republic in 1994-1996 have been left without an apartment. The housing issue is also being actively addressed for the families of military personnel who died during the current counter-terrorism operation.

A common problem and stumbling block is the calculation of living space per family member. Until recently, when housing was provided, square meters were not allocated for the deceased head of the family. Some of the most persistent women reached Moscow, but even there, the issue was resolved with difficulty. For example, the widow of Valery Ocheretny, a Hero of Russia and a senior lieutenant, still lives in a two-room small apartment with her two children. Marina, the widow of Senior Ensign Viktor Parshonkov, lives in a one-room apartment with her daughter.

As children grow, so do the problems, including the need for more living space.

However, in recent months, progress has been made. For example, according to the decision of General Viktor Kazantsev, the commander of the North Caucasus Military District at the time, Zhanna Vorsina, one of the first in a similar situation, received a warrant to move into a two-room apartment, having previously occupied a one-room apartment.

In general, as Zhanna Vorsina and her friends noticed, during the past six months, the attitude of both government agencies and various organizations and charitable foundations towards them has noticeably improved.

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Things have changed for the better. Attention to their problems and concerns has become more focused. Many of the widows have been received by the commander of the North Caucasus Military District, with the initiative coming from the host side. The widows have also attended celebrations for Defender of the Fatherland Day and International Women's Day, as well as concerts and meetings with artists. Tatiana Zavyalova, Svetlana Moiseeva, and several other family members of fallen soldiers have participated in a free tour to Cyprus organized by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation in collaboration with the Line of Life Charitable Foundation. By the way, the fund made a requirement that women be included in the travel lists only if they were military personnel who had taken part in combat operations. This requirement was met, and as a result, many widows were left out of the promotion. Additionally, the Turkish authorities, upon learning that Russian military personnel were traveling, closed their airspace to the plane.

Nevertheless, the women have noticed a new attitude towards them. However, they are not in a hurry to celebrate this, as their previous experiences have been quite bitter. They have often heard stereotypical and cynical statements from officials, such as "I didn't send your husband to Chechnya." Despite this, the widows and mothers of the deceased hope that these measures are not isolated incidents but rather the first real signs of a change in the overall social policy towards the families of military personnel who have died in the line of duty.

In the meantime, the situation is such that many types of benefits for this category of citizens are simply not provided for. This is especially true for the children of fallen soldiers. Although they receive a modest pension until they reach the age of majority, this is the only form of government assistance they receive. The law does not discriminate between those who lost their breadwinners due to illness, those who died in battle for the interests of Russia, or those who tragically lost their lives in accidents.

Natalia Podolskaya, the widow of Captain Pyotr Podolsky, who was killed near the walls of Grozny, has been all over the place. When it was time for her daughter, Vika, to choose her future path after graduating from high school, the employees of military recruitment offices, university rectors, and business leaders she approached for help just shrugged their shoulders. For some reason, people like Vika Podolskaya are not included in the list of individuals who have priority access to university admission. Is this fair? I don't think so.

Let's not be hypocritical: in our difficult times, parental support is crucial for young people at the beginning of their lives. Even if you have a brilliant mind, if you didn't have the opportunity to study with tutors from your chosen university or attend paid university preparatory courses, your chances of becoming a student are slim. Vika didn't have this opportunity, so she had to enroll in a commercial college in Rostov. It costs the family of the deceased captain 2,000 rubles per semester. For their modest budget, this is a significant amount. So far, there have been no proposals to provide humanitarian scholarships to the Podolsk region.

In the same "restless" way.

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pre-school children are in the same situation: they do not have a preferential fee for attending kindergartens. And schools are not always ready to give them a free lunch. It is necessary to take into account this circumstance: According to statistics, 75 to 80 percent of the military personnel killed in recent years in the North Caucasus and other hot spots are people under the age of 35. Consequently, most of them still have young children. The urgency of the problem is obvious.

Over the past few years, the Union of Afghan Veterans of the Oktyabrsky district of Rostov-on-Don has been a proven and reliable friend for "Chechen" widows. It just so happens that this urban area is now home to the largest number of families of the victims. The union is headed by Alexander Kokotchikov, and it was on his initiative that the comrades decided several years ago to consider "Chechen" widows as members of the union, with all the ensuing consequences. Women not only participate in the organization's activities, but also receive substantial support from it. Over the years, they have received hundreds of kilograms of humanitarian supplies from fellow Afghans. dozens of orphaned children rested in children's health camps according to the vouchers allocated by the "Afghans". The Union also stands guard over the social rights of the families of the victims. There was a time, for example, when local authorities tried to cancel benefits for them for paying for utilities, traveling on public transport. The Union of Veterans of Afghanistan did not rest until it achieved the cancellation of the discriminatory decision.

"These women are our sisters," Alexander Kokotchikov says succinctly.

Some other organizations and institutions in the Rostov region are also helping as much as they can. Among the most active is the Rostov-on-Don branch of the insurance company Incorstrakh, which is headed by retired officer Alexey Spesivtsev. According to the decision of the branch's management, members of more than 30 families of deceased military personnel have been assigned to the Vodnik hospital for medical treatment at the company's expense, as the hospital's staff is considered one of the most qualified in the Don capital. Moreover, children from these families received free insurance policies from Incorstrakh.

The Rostov store "Lantysh" sells its perfumes and cosmetics to the widows of the deceased at a significant discount. Other businesses and organizations are also involved in charity work. Therefore, it is a lie to say that the families of the deceased military personnel are left to fend for themselves. Perhaps this is not the right topic to discuss.

By and large, assistance from public organizations and enterprises is a voluntary attempt from the "grassroots" to cover up the gap in social state programs designed to protect the rights and interests of this category of residents of the country. Of course, there has never been a shortage of compassionate and compassionate people in Russia. It is not by chance that we were born the saying: "With the world on a thread - a naked shirt". Still, selecting a "thread" is a personal matter for a particular manager. Today, you give, and tomorrow, you don't. The relentless logic of the market, where "every man for himself and God for all," suggests that you won't stay afloat in the commercial waters for long with a kind heart.

Therefore, it is not difficult to see in practice: every year charity items of expenses of large firms and banks "lose weight", and small entrepreneurs, even if they want to, are not able to help their neighbor. Yes and. to be honest, others are concerned about their problems. Hence, the natural conclusion is that the transition period in the development of state social policy has clearly been delayed, and it is time to find solutions in the new conditions.

... Right next to the beautiful high-rise building, the construction of another residential building is coming to an end. The dark gray concrete is repulsive to the eye. The walls have not yet been painted. Soon, of course, they will be covered with a thin, light-colored layer. The residents will enter the building with joy and concern. But will everything turn out well for them? Unfortunately, we already know that among the new residents will be the women who have prematurely turned gray and are wearing black mourning headscarves...

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