Volgograd Residents Freeze as Heating Systems Fail Across City
In Volgograd and the region, a difficult situation with heating persists. Residents complain of low temperatures in apartments, kindergartens, schools, and public transport, while utility workers deny any disruptions in heat supply.
In building No. 9 on Metallurgov Avenue in the Krasnooktyabrsky district, the temperature in apartments does not exceed 16°C (61°F).
«In all apartments, it»s 16 degrees, and it doesn«t go higher,» reports one of the building«s residents. »We called all the authorities, no one cares, and in January they«ll bring the bills. What are we paying for, to freeze? We contacted the management company repeatedly. They said: »You«re not the only ones freezing, call the heating networks.» No one answers there.«
In the same district, at kindergarten No. 271, parents record the temperature at 17°C (63°F).
«A cry of despair! It»s been like this all week. Now we«re hoping it gets warmer outside,» sighs a concerned mother. «But the kindergarten management doesn»t know how to resolve the situation. They assure us that it«s warm, but I see the thermometer in the kindergarten every day. Today in one of the groups it was only 7°C (45°F)! And the radiators are warm, but apparently, it»s not enough...«
In the Sovetsky district, at kindergarten No. 359, the situation is no better.
«In the group, it»s 13°C (55°F). Children sleep dressed. The head called someone: they say everything is according to norms. Instead of wearing dresses and shorts, children put on warm pants and sweaters. Some have already fallen ill. The radiators are barely warm. The teachers asked to bring heaters, but for such a large area, they don«t work, so the beds are cold, and overall the rooms are cold.»
Schoolchildren also suffer from the cold. A student from gymnasium No. 16 in the Traktorozavodsky district reports:
«There»s no heating, during lessons and breaks children walk around in jackets, but classes continue, and the school takes no action. The radiators are barely warm. Today at school, it seems a pipe burst, but no measures were taken except to put out buckets and rags. In each class now, there are 3-5 sick students.«
The problem also affects public transport. Passengers of bus No. 25 note that it is very cold inside the cabin.
«You can see breath vapor from people»s mouths. Not a single heater in the cabin is working, but the driver in the cabin is hot. At the terminal, an elderly woman approached him, asking to turn on the heaters in the cabin, but he said everything is on. But I«m sitting by a heater, and it»s ice-cold. That woman couldn«t take it and got off, but workers and students have to ride...»Previously, there have been complaints about this route. A query was sent to the city administration, but there is still no response.
«Heat Supply Concessions» stated that regarding kindergarten No. 359 and gymnasium No. 16, the heat supply was not interrupted and no emergency work was conducted. Concerning kindergarten No. 271 and the residential building on Metallurgov Avenue, no answer has been provided yet. Utility workers recommend contacting the Unified Dispatch Center for Housing and Utilities Issues at phone number 8(8442)333-134.
The cold in the premises has been ongoing for several weeks, as evidenced by numerous complaints from residents. However, meteorologists forecast a soon warming that could improve the situation.
