Volunteer Clears Rural Road for Fourth Consecutive Winter
On the border of Samara and Ulyanovsk regions, a true folk hero has been found! For free, without any fanfare or demanding reward, Nikolay Andreyev has been clearing the road between the two regions with his old Niva SUV for four consecutive winters.
The dirt road in the area of Podvalskiye Terraces is the shortest route between the two regions. It runs between the villages of Senkino (Shigonsky District) and Mordovskaya Begtyazhka (Sengileyevsky District).
Nikolay Fyodorovich, a resident of Ulyanovsk Region, clears the road of snow every winter by attaching a snowplow blade to his Niva, and often pulls out stuck vehicles. When the road gets completely snowed in, he finds a tractor to clear it—there«s a group on Telegram where people chip in for such occasions.
Local residents and those who frequently use this particular route have gotten used to calling Nikolay and checking the «forecast»—asking about the situation on the dirt road and whether it«s passable.
«There is a regular asphalt road. But the route on it is 120 kilometers longer, which is quite significant. Many motorists take a shortcut via this dirt road. It would be great if it were paved and made into a proper road,» a local resident wrote to the 63.RU editorial office. «The Samara authorities just write back saying there is a road built back in the Soviet Union, that it»s, supposedly, enough, and to use it. But citizens have the right to more accessible infrastructure, including roads!«
