CHECHNYA LINKS LIBRARY

Residents of closed-down neighbourhood complain government fails to keep promises re housing

By Ruslan Isayev

GROZNY, Chechnya - Residents of the former "Shanghai" neighbourhood, which was closed down on the orders of President Kadyrov, complain that the authorities are not keeping their promises to allocate housing or plots of land to them.

Some residents tried to hold a protest rally outside the complex of government buildings in Grozny, but were quickly dispersed by security guards. The last such action was held on Tuesday, and lasted no more than half an hour. No one came out to the ex-"Shanghai" residents to explain the situation to them.

The problem is that the neighbourhood was closed down by means of promises to allocate the residents housing or plots of land in exchange. 180 people from 37 families are involved. The authorities allocated the plots in a most unattractive location - the so-called Andreyevskaya Doline, on the western outskirts of Grozny.

Those who were officially registered in "Shanghai" are also experiencing problems with housing. The authorities are dragging their heels about supplying the prefabs for the plots and the building materials for the construction of a house. People who received apartments in the Zavodskoy district of Grozny complain that these are in a sorry state, and lack windows and doors.

Initially the residents of this neighbourhood, some of whom had lived there more than 40 years, categorically refused to leave it, but because of threats and promises yielded to pressure from the authorities. The Chechen human rights ombudsman, Nurdi Nukhadzhiyev, was called in to persuade the "Shanghaians". He assured the residents that they would be given housing of equal value, as the authorities had promised, whereupon they took a collective decision to leave the neighbourhood.

(D/T)