Chelyabinsk Residents Describe Punishments in Closed Rehabs

After the publication about rehab centers closed by authorities near Chelyabinsk, several people contacted the editorial office of 74.RU, claiming experience in the scandalous centers. «Atmosphere» and «Panacea» operated in Korkino: one in the village of Dubrovka, the second in the Roma settlement Timofeyevka. Now, rehab employees Stanislav Gusev and Karopet Androyan are accused of harassing a minor, they are in a pre-trial detention center, and a case of kidnapping an adult man is also being investigated. People who claimed rehabilitation there are divided into two camps. Some wanted to defend the management, others to tell about their experience. Far from all impressions were positive. One of those who contacted reported unsanitary conditions and punishments for offenses (and is ready to testify about it to the Investigative Committee) — one of the residents, as she claims, was put in a three-meter hole. The assessment of what happened in the rehabs will be given by the Investigative Committee. We publish the versions of several rehabilitants — in the first person. Names are changed at their request.

Vera, 26 years old

I know about these houses, I was there. In July, I was first taken to Dubrovka and kept locked up for three days, then taken to Korkino, and there I stayed for a month. I believe I was taken there illegally. I am not a drug addict or an alcoholic, I just had a nervous breakdown.

In May, I started a severe depression — because I was beaten and no one helped. I wrote to relatives, but no one reacted, didn«t come, didn»t support me. First, I went to a psychologist, then medication was needed, and a psychotherapist prescribed pills. Due to the medication, I started choking at night, couldn«t swallow, called an ambulance. In July, I decided to go to the psychotherapist again, he put me on an IV, and I fell asleep. I woke up in a taxi next to my mom, she was taking me to Dubrovka. We arrived at some house (I later recognized it in your photos in the article), got out of the car. Mom said: »Here are good psychologists, they will help you here. Get treatment, rest.« She said it was very inexpensive — about 20,000 rubles (about $200 at current rates) per month. Mom left, and I went inside. First, they took me to an office, gave me some contract to sign. I told them I wanted to sleep, and they took me to a room.

The room was large, with a window, bunk beds, a locker, and a mirror. There were six of us, six women. Those who were new, like me, were called «bedridden.» I was forbidden to leave the room and be alone, someone was always nearby. Food was brought to me in the room, the toilet was behind the next door, and I couldn«t go to the common living room. I was bored, and I read aloud the book »Everything About Everything.« Besides the »bedridden,« there are first and second groups. The first also sits in the room, doesn»t go anywhere except the toilet, and the second can move around the house as they wish and even go outside.

On the third day, I had a hysterical fit. It was three in the morning, I wanted to sleep, but everyone was sitting in the living room, mumbling something, and I couldn«t fall asleep. I went out there, look — everyone is sitting with notebooks, writing something. I asked them not to talk because they woke me up. It turned out that they had a punishment — they were writing in notebooks for several hours. There, it was mandatory to write five thoughts every day, someone didn»t do it, and everyone was punished. I wasn«t allowed in the living room because I was »bedridden,« and an argument started. I returned to the room, but through the door, I continued to scream that I was being held illegally.

I was almost immediately called to the office, and Karopet [Androyan, the rehab director] — the one in your photo, started talking to me: «Vera, why are you making a scene?» He started hugging me, calming me down, promised to call my mom. And in the morning, when I woke up, I was told to pack. Karopet said he would take me to my mom and son, I packed my things and got in his car. We didn«t drive long. He said he needed to stop by another place. We drove through gates, then another set, and ended up on the territory of some house (in your photos, I recognized it too). Karopet said he needed to take someone to the pharmacy, asked me to get out of the car and wait for him. I protested: »Maybe you«ll deal with problems later?» But in the end, I got out, he left, and I stayed waiting. He was gone for a long time, I wanted to walk already, but they didn«t let me out. There were several guards, I called them »watchers.« I walked around the territory, sat in the gazebo, then I was told I needed to go up to the office. And that»s it, so they lured me into the house.

In the office, I asked by what right they were treating me like this. They answered: «Your mom ordered you.» I explained that I am not a drug addict or alcoholic, all medications were taken as prescribed by a doctor. They told me that mom paid for a month of treatment and I couldn«t leave earlier. If something goes wrong, my stay there could be extended.

In the rehabs, there were about 40 people, and everyone paid differently. For some, 50,000 rubles (about $500), for others — 5,000 rubles (about $50). There were also teenagers, for whom they paid even more. I saw four teenagers — two girls, two boys. One girl was only 12 years old, she was brought there for a week. She behaved badly: strangled a cat, didn«t want to study. The second girl was 15. She is not a drug addict, nothing like that, just ran away from home. As I understood, she has bad relations with her mom, and mom decided to re-educate her this way. The two boys were about 14, both dabbled in drugs. These boys slept with adults [in one room] — with drug addicts, criminals, former or current. There were few women — only ten people, we all slept in one room.

They fed us expired food. Stores should dispose of such products, but they were brought to us. I just cook well and always asked to work in the kitchen. They brought us moldy bread and lavash in boxes. I unwrapped it all, cut off the excess, and dried it in the oven so we could eat and not get poisoned. They brought cucumbers that had wilted and turned sour, from which we cooked pickle soup. For a 20-liter pot, they only gave the back of a chicken. Rice porridge was only on Sundays. Over time, I was transferred to the second group, and I could go down to the kitchen anytime, drink coffee. At some point, I was allowed to talk to my mom, and I told her we were eating expired food. She answered me: «It will be a lesson for you.» A lesson? For what?

In my presence, they punished one guy who had been there for three months. In the office, there was always vodka, and this guy went in there, drank a shot. The guards twisted him, stripped him naked in the bathhouse, and threw him into a three-meter deep hole. This hole was dug under the outdoor toilet, but it was empty. The guy sat there for several hours, they spit on him from above. I said he could catch pneumonia, get sick, and they answered: «He»ll know how to break the rules.« Then they poured cold water on him from above. After all, I asked others what happened to him. They told me he was under arrest and complete ignore. No one talked to him for three days. Such bullying. Then he returned to everyone.

Once, they brought a guy about 20 years old, he was on salts. He stood, stared at one point, tried to speak, they gagged him. Tried to leave, but leaving is not allowed, and they beat him — three men. I say: «What, have you gone completely mad?» They say: «What, is he stupid or something?» They tied him to a bed in the common men«s room, brought him food on a tray there. For two or three days, probably, we didn»t see this guy. Then he appeared, and his wrists were burgundy! Either he was tied for a long time, or he tried to break free. I asked: «How are you?» He answered: «Fine.» I said: «Were you tied up or something?» He remained silent.

They required us to write a diary of feelings. Some closed up and refused. But if you don«t write anything, you were also punished. If someone messed up, we had to write the same phrase 100 or 200 times. For example, »I take responsibility for fire safety, first put out the cigarette butt, then throw it in the trash.« Once, I was five minutes late in the bathhouse, and because of me, everyone was punished. The punishment was — 500 squats and 500 push-ups, but not at once, over the whole day.

The bathhouse was common, during this time they posted guards. At first, I didn«t understand why, then I understood. The bathhouse was in the evening, in the dark, and many ran away in the evening. Inside, there was an anteroom and a steam room. The supervisor sat closer to the stove, he had a bucket of water. And we all on the bench, sat on the floor. As much space as there was, they crammed everyone in. We, girls, were in towels: covered up — and that»s it. Some threw it on bare skin, but I didn«t risk it, didn»t remove underwear under the towel. Boys washed in shorts. It was very cramped and hot. We even got burned sometimes.

In the kitchen, there was no soap or detergent. I asked: «How to wash dishes? Can»t you buy soap?« — »There isn«t any.» I asked the girls for shampoo, but no one wanted to share, and I washed with my shampoo. Their septic tank couldn«t handle it, water drained poorly. And they drained all the sewage into the field — laid a hose.

There were no doctors there. A person with psoriasis was lying, and his knees were almost rotting, he needed an IV. The IV was administered by a girl who had been there for 11 months, a heroin addict.

Mom came with my brother exactly after a month, right on the dot. When I got in the car, I started crying. I convulsively told what happened to me, about a month of madness, abuse, and torture.

Alexander, 36 years old

I recovered in the center «Atmosphere.» Now I already have nine years of sobriety after rehabilitation in Dubrovka. Completed the full course: there was a period of isolation, then social adaptation, then I volunteered for a long time — helped guys who come. «Atmosphere» generally became a second home for me, because from my home, where I used drugs, mom sent me, already tired of fighting, and I have no father.

This was not my first rehabilitation, at that time I already had five different centers. In Dubrovka, conditions were excellent, compared to other centers. I«m talking specifically about the attitude. It was in »Atmosphere« that they simply showed me by example of other people how to live without using. I was inspired by people who go ahead (they are called »ahead-going guys«), who already went through rehabilitation and remain sober. The same Stanislav Evgenyevich. I never had a father, and Stanislav Evgenyevich became my dad, so to speak. Why this story [with accusations of harassment] touched me. I don»t argue about these accusations, it«s the letter of the law, but purely humanly... He [Stanislav Gusev] lived for this center. It»s not a business where they crammed people just to make money. He knew every rehabilitant there, went through the process with each one. It was primarily a desire to help.

I believe there was adequate, good living there. Our beds were clean, the bathhouse was clean. We constantly did something: free time appeared — we went, fixed the bathhouse, did something else. Labor educates a person.

Need to understand what an addict is — an alcoholic or a drug addict. Some don«t understand this, they think they are good. But a drug addict is a systematic liar, a person who, if possible, would pawn his mom in a pawnshop. Such a contingent of people. To agree with him, to show him that one can not use, very meticulous and long work is needed. Rehabilitation doesn»t last a month or two, it«s all based on experience. This is done by exactly those people who understand what they are talking about. Not like someone came from a tire shop and started healing people. The program is based primarily on helping each other. If you don»t meet others like you, it«s hard to even talk about accepting your addiction. There is a saying that an addict in active use has three paths — either hospital, prison, or death. Working with such people, I believe, is hard and labor-intensive.

How to work with an addict in general? There, it«s not punishments, but first of all — developing responsibility. There is a regulation, duties, and need to follow this order, because we live in a collective. If someone messes up, sorry for the slang, then need to talk with him, find out why one from our collective deviates, why he can»t. We discussed it, found some way out, and everyone corrected themselves. And writing the same thing a thousand times... We didn«t have that. I know for sure it doesn»t work when you put a person under tension. A person who lives in the center is already isolated, plus tension... It interferes with finding points of contact for the person to become interested in recovering.

After rehabilitation, everyone goes to groups. The community of anonymous narcotics, anonymous alcoholics has existed for about 100 years. To date, I know a bunch of people who have 10-15 years of sobriety after «Atmosphere.» I don«t know the whole »kitchen,« what happened there in the last period, but I know for sure that they did everything for the good. I think, can gather a thousand signatures of parents who are grateful to this center. It is actually one of the best. When I got into »Atmosphere,« I started to trust people. To date, I have a wife, a healthy child was born, I work a good job, stable. My mom is happy, calm. I could call Stanislav Evgenyevich anytime, say: »I don«t want to use, but I feel bad.» And he would support me in any case.

Vladimir, 40 years old

I had a normal life — the same as everyone, had a job in a bank. And then I started actively drinking and using drugs, mom already didn«t know what to do with me. You describe in the article that a man from Magnitogorsk was taken to a rehab, but it was relatives who asked to take him, I understand. I had the same situation, understand? Destructive people — drug addicts, alcoholics, criminals — cause damage to others, their families, loved ones, neighbors. Essentially, I was the same person.

And what is the way out? Narcology doesn«t work. You come, they »drip« you there, but your friends bring alcohol or drugs there. You leave — and nothing changed. Such a person no longer leads any social life. He probably steals from home, keeps his relatives in fear. And then relatives send their children to narcology, seek help, come to a rehab center. Because rehab is the last resort.

Working with such people is very hard work. Imagine: 30-40 people, and they — not like in a normal collective where everyone is adequate, but sick, impossible to manage. The center helped me a lot, and I am grateful for that. Yes, there are some of their methods. But if they placed me, such a sick person, in some hospital where they would follow me and say: «Here»s breakfast, eat,« »Here«s a book, read,» then I wouldn«t change at all. And precisely their methods helped me. I was in rehab for six or seven months. You just don»t understand that with your behavior you destroy your life and the lives of people around. I realized this only after going through rehabilitation. It doesn«t help everyone. Actually, [recovered] — a very small percentage. But I now have about 20 acquaintances, friends, who came out of the rehabilitation center, and we communicate. They have children, lead a normal lifestyle. Imagine, drug addicts who stole, sat in prisons, drove drunk, now lead a good lifestyle. Understand, what work was done? We constantly met in the office, went to groups together, because alone it»s hard to go, but together — much easier. Stas and other guys paid attention to this. Recovery is, first of all, a change in psyche: a person changes internally.

I have many acquaintances in the community — anonymous alcoholics, anonymous narcotics. Everyone knows the center «Atmosphere» and is grateful to it. If there is some unsanitary there... Believe me, can come to any expensive restaurant, conduct a check, and there will be unsanitary there too. I know for sure that in Dubrovka there was a fire alarm, video surveillance, and sufficiently good conditions. There wasn«t such that we froze, underfed. I am happy that I even had such a chance in life, that I got into Stanislav»s center. He gave me a lot as a leader, taught life wisdoms.

I will soon have nine years of sobriety. I don«t drink alcohol, don»t use drugs, quit smoking a couple of years ago and feel great. Before, if I went to a corporate event, couldn«t not get drunk, but now I go without alcohol. On New Year, I don»t get drunk, January 1 I go, walk — to the mountains, to the lake. Life changed.

Just I look how drugs have become available now, and as if there is no way out. Look how many schoolboy-drug addicts have become. In our time, I think, there wasn«t such. Actually, Stanislav has huge gratitude that he decided to try to do this. You understand what a teenager is, transitional age. And if it»s a teenager who also uses drugs? Everyone refuses such, but Stas tried to work. In general, we are grateful, and there are many of us.

Checks — Across the Country

Recall, the cleanup of rehabs is now going across the country, stories about torture in them are revealed one after another. There is a proposal to transfer such centers under the control of the Ministry of Health. In Russia, they also talked about changes in the Criminal Code: for illegal activity of rehabs, they think to introduce criminal responsibility. For now, most continue to work.