Ryazan shelter helps homeless rebuild their lives

In Ryazan there is a place where fate brings people not by their own free will but by the whim of cruel circumstance: whether it be money and documents lost in a strange city, a treacherous theft, or a descent into the abyss of alcohol or drug addiction. This is a shelter for the destitute called «Line of Life», and it is now run by Dmitry — a man who once knew the hell of drug addiction firsthand.

The shelter takes in anyone in need on two conditions: first, they stop using; second, they go to work.

Dmitry himself used drugs from the age of 17, for 15 years of his life. He served time in prison a couple of times, committed thefts, lost his wife, quit using several times, and started again.

— I want to quit but I can«t, that»s how it was. I even asked to be put in prison: I went to an officer and said, «Listen, lock me up, I can»t quit, but in prison I«ll quit.» A former classmate offered to help, said maybe I could go to a monastery. I started looking, but I didn«t want to go anywhere. My mother brought a business card for «Line of Life», I said, »I«m not fucking calling.» She called herself and made arrangements. We arrived. I was sitting there under the influence, I couldn«t care less, I didn»t care at all. I was sent to Lipetsk from my native Tambov; we had several branches then.

I honestly followed the rules, didn«t use. But then the need arose to go to Tambov to sign some documents. And a plan took shape in my mind. I thought: I»ll call my parents now, go with them, close the case, and while I«m there — I»ll use, and no one will know. I go to the head of the center and say, «I need to go to Tambov.» He says, «Let»s go together.« And that was it, the plan collapsed. The second time — same story. And then he asks me: »Are we going together or are you going alone?« At that moment it was as if time stopped, my life flashed before my eyes. And I answer, »Let«s go together.» It wasn«t even me who said it — it was as if someone else did. From that day I began to live anew. Then things somehow fell into place, and I was entrusted with running the center»s branch in Ryazan, since I had proven myself.

People come to us only of their own free will. Without that desire nothing will work. If you don«t want to change your life, no one can help you. Many start making excuses: »Just this once, it was an accident.« Then helping is useless. Only when you yourself accept that you are an addict — that»s when something can shift.

Zhenya, an alcoholic, has lived at the center for about four years. The man walks with a limp and speaks poorly, staring thoughtfully at one point:

— I«m from Tambov. I just have nowhere to go. I grew up in an orphanage. I drank every day, but once traffic police picked me up on the highway and brought me to the center; now I don»t drink at all, — Zhenya says of himself, sparing with words.

Dmitry adds a few details about him:

— Stop fibbing! He relapsed a couple of times, was lying in our corridor.

There are few drug addicts at the center now, but one of them is Alina, who has been here about two months:

— I«m from Pskov Region. I trusted people, paid for a daily rental apartment. I came to Ryazan to see my ex-boyfriend; we were supposed to meet. He didn»t show up, stopped answering for two days. A group of people came to the apartment — they turned out to be salt users [synthetic cathinones], and I used too. I left there without my belongings, without anything. I went to the police, but they wouldn«t look into it because there was nowhere to look for them. I was on the street for two days. Then by chance I met a person who invited me here.

I have three children. They are now with their mother in Moscow Region. I would like to go back to them, but I don«t want to come empty-handed. I»m ashamed to come without money. But I«m saving now and trying to get my life in order.

There are no former drug addicts. A trigger can kick in. If things get really bad for me — I«m not safe from it. The craving is there. But if I wanted to use right now — I wouldn»t give a damn about this place, I«d go and do it. But I don»t do it. I want to leave, get my life in order and never end up in such situations again. But if I meet those people — I won«t forgive them, I»ll take revenge, — Alina later said, unexpectedly becoming openly aggressive toward everyone present in the house.

The most talkative and good-natured of the center«s residents turned out to be Grisha, who has been here only his first week. An unexpected situation befell him, turning him from an ordinary person sharply into a homeless man:

— I«m from Yekaterinburg. I worked on rotation shifts in Moscow and St. Petersburg, came to Ryazan to see an acquaintance. Because of alcohol I lost my backpack, phone, all my documents. It»s my own fault. When I sobered up — my first thought was: «I need a drink.» I went and drank. I«d never lost my passport, and now — I lost it. Then I lost my phone too. I was on the street for three days: slept in an abandoned building, on a bench. Ate almost nothing. Once a woman brought out kvass and water. Then I saw the center»s notice, called. They explained everything and helped me.

I«m a binge drinker — I can»t stop in time. Normal people have a drink and go their separate ways. But I need more, to keep the party going. That«s where the problems come from. My situation was critical, measures had to be taken.

But I don«t regret ending up here. I need to restore my documents, and then we»ll see. I«m saving money. Of course I»d like to go home and sort everything out, — the man said, without losing his optimism.

As Dmitry himself admits, he once lived solely on the center«s income, and those funds were enough for him. However, the city streets have now noticeably emptied — there are far fewer people left without a roof over their heads, though the man chose to leave the reasons for this change outside the conversation. As a result, income has fallen several times over, and now, to keep «Line of Life» running, Dmitry has to take on outside work — as a tiler.