Limbless Builder Becomes Social Media Star in Novosibirsk
For the past eight years, Ubaidulla Tulaganov has lived in the «Social Hostel»
67-year-old Ubaidulla Tulaganov came to Novosibirsk to earn money ten years ago. He supported four children and his wife, who stayed in Tashkent. On New Year«s Eve, he frostbitten his hands and feet so severely that they had to be amputated. Since then, Ubaidulla has lived in a »Social Hostel,« helps other residents, and makes new friends. Recently, he became a social media star: a video featuring him went so viral that the consul general of Uzbekistan took notice and helped him restore his passport. An NGS correspondent met with Ubaidulla, talked with him about life, and learned what deep personal drama lies behind the inspiring story.
A few days ago, Ubaidulla received a passport of a citizen of Uzbekistan
Sudden Fame
In 2016, Ubaidulla got lost and spent the whole night in the freezing cold
Ubaidulla Tulaganov, a resident of the Novosibirsk «Social Hostel,» unexpectedly became a social media star. In the spring, a video about him was filmed and published on the Instagram page of the ANO «Your Home»* (an extremist organization whose activities are banned in the Russian Federation); the video gathered more than 300,000 views and a thousand comments.
Ubaidulla made his own footwear — he refuses to use a wheelchair
People began coming to see the man — to meet him, offer money and things. He politely declines most of the help.
Self-reliance is Ubaidulla«s main principle. He has done everything himself since childhood
A native of Uzbekistan, he lost his arms and legs and lived without documents for eight years. He had no right to disability status, no insurance policy, and almost no official assistance. The situation moved forward precisely thanks to the viral video.
The man has not seen his family for many years and talks about it reluctantly
«The diaspora took notice of us, and the consul of Uzbekistan personally contacted us. Everything came together in just about a month — the interaction proved fruitful,» says Natalya Pershina, founder of the «Social Hostel.»
Natalya Pershina does charity work with her husband Alexey
On 3 August, Ubaidulla Tulaganov received the long-awaited passport of a citizen of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The video about Ubaidulla, whom residents call simply Abdulla, gathered more than 300,000 views. In the comments, people searched for Ubaidulla«s relatives with almost all of Uzbekistan
«I think the necessary documents for Russian citizenship will come soon,» Aslam Akbarov, consul general of Uzbekistan in Novosibirsk, told Ubaidulla when presenting the passport.
Ubaidulla Tulaganov«s story touched hundreds of thousands of people
According to Ubaidulla, Russian citizenship is a slow process — a year or more — but he is ready to wait. Now he has concrete plans: to register his disability, get prosthetics, arrange a pension, and return to work — at least as a security guard or a street cleaner.
«I Didn»t Feel the Cold at All«
Back home, Ubaidulla Tulaganov worked as a cook and butcher — preparing national dishes at weddings and funerals. Later he got a job in a sausage shop at a meat processing plant that opened after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Even earlier, he served in the army: six months of training in Tajikistan, then almost two years at an aviation guidance post — he was discharged as a senior sergeant.
Ubaidulla Tulaganov had been coming to Novosibirsk from Tashkent since 2012: he worked construction seasonally and went home for the winter. But in 2016, he stayed — workers are always in short supply in winter.
«We had to hand over a construction site, and I was supposed to go home for New Year. But it turned out we didn»t have enough people — in winter everyone goes home. I went to a village where fellow countrymen were staying to celebrate New Year at home,« he recalls.
On the way, he got lost. It grew dark, snowfall began, and there was a field all around — no bus stop, no landmarks. Ubaidulla spent the whole night alone in the freezing cold.
«Snow, a real blizzard. In the morning, when it began to get light, I found where the village was. By that time, it turned out, I had already frostbitten my hands and feet,» he says, noting that he did not even realize it at first. «I kept going to work for three more days. Then I noticed: I feel no cold at all, nothing.»
He was taken to the hospital, and his hands and feet had to be amputated. While he was in the hospital, a second misfortune struck: the house of his fellow countrymen, where Ubaidulla had left his documents, burned down.
«They had lit the stove and gone to work. The most important thing — I was left without documents,» he lamented.
«I Like to Do Everything Myself»
At the hospital, Ubaidulla was advised to stay at the Siberian Christian Center. Since 2018, he has lived in shelters of the ANO «Your Home,» and for the past two years — in the «Social Hostel» on Lobova Street. Eight years have passed since then.
In that time, he has become a full-fledged resident of the house — someone who helps others rather than only receiving help. According to Ubaidulla, he has his own wards among the neighbors whom he looks after.
«We help each other. For example, have you seen my room? There are disabled people there too. For instance, I clean everything myself there. If needed, I»ll give a haircut, a shave,« he explained.
He fetches groceries and medicines for those who cannot go out themselves, and in winter he clears snow in the yard, though no one asks him to. He moves on his knees — he refused a wheelchair, explaining that this way is faster and more convenient: on stairs and in stores, a wheelchair only gets in the way. Ubaidulla made his own walker and foam slippers; he also travels around the city to stores and on public transport by himself, without assistance.
Among those Ubaidulla cares for is a neighbor at the hostel. At first, he simply walked her to the smoking area, and they talked along the way. Several years ago, the woman suffered a mini-stroke, losing her speech and memory. Now they have breakfast, lunch, and dinner together; apparently, he is one of the few people she regularly communicates with.
Over time, neighbors from nearby buildings in the area got to know him. On the way to the store, people greet him and stop for a few words. In the evenings, he watches Russian TV series with his neighbors in his room, admitting he prefers family stories and melodramas. He also reads — the hostel has a small library.
Independence is a principle for him that formed long before the amputation. Ubaidulla recalls that after the operation, the nurses and orderlies fed and dressed him at first, and how hard it was for him to accept that.
«I shoved a spoon into my bandaged hand and started doing it myself. They said: »Oh, we«ve never seen anyone like this before.» I like to do everything myself,« Ubaidulla says.
According to him, he has always been this way, ever since school — he even preferred to iron his own shirt or trousers, though it did not come easily at first.
«Crooked or not crooked. The first time it won»t work out anyway, but the second, third...« he says.
«They Know Where I Am»
There is one topic Ubaidulla has closed off for himself — family. In Uzbekistan, he left behind a wife and four children. His eldest son was born in 1984, the youngest in 1993. His wife is a retired teacher, and the children work.
Ubaidulla cut off contact with them himself after losing his arms and legs: he is ashamed of what he would be like if he decided to talk. The main thing for him now is to know that his family is all right.
«I don»t want to myself. No. In this condition... At least to get prosthetics. I left with legs and would return without legs. For me, that«s... No,» he explains. «They know where I am. That I»m alive and well. But otherwise there«s no contact.»
He has been offered help finding his relatives more than once — free of charge, even to the point of organizing a trip home. He invariably refuses. When an NGS journalist asked whether they should be searched for, he also refused.
He does have plans in that regard, just postponed: first prosthetics and Russian citizenship, and only then — a calm conversation with his family and, possibly, an invitation for them to come to Russia.
«He Can»t Stand Being Idle«
According to Natalya Pershina, founder of the «Social Hostel,» for Ubaidulla, movement and helping others are not a duty but the meaning of life, though at first the staff of the house did not understand this.
«He loves to walk, he can»t stand being idle. Especially in winter: he tries to shovel the snow — at first we didn«t understand why. But for him it»s the opposite, it«s the meaning of life: helping others, being in motion,» she explains.
As for prosthetics, Natalya Pershina is optimistic, though she admits that for now Ubaidulla refuses any technical rehabilitation aids, and on his knees he moves better and faster than many people who walk on their own legs.
According to Natalya, new bureaucratic steps lie ahead for Ubaidulla: registering his SNILS, mandatory medical insurance, and disability recognition.
The «Social Hostel» is one of the projects of Natalya Pershina and her husband Alexey. Several houses of mercy of the ANO «Your Home» operate in Novosibirsk and the region. Read about how and why the family got involved in helping those in need in our material.
* Meta Platforms, Inc.«s activities in implementing products — the social networks Facebook and Instagram — have been recognized as extremist and banned in Russia.
