‘What Is Free Time?’: A Volunteer’s 23-Year Cleanup of His City
Anton Vasiliev is known to many in Yakutsk—for 23 years, the man has worked as a street cleaner every day without pay. Few know that he not only cleans streets of dirt and trash but also volunteers: he helps large families, an animal shelter, and people in difficult situations. Read Anton«s story in a report from our colleagues at 14.RU.
‘The City Isn’t Ashamed—It’s Used to Me’
Anton Vasiliev didn«t come to volunteerism by accident: from a young age, his father taught him to care for the environment and value the place he lives. When he was a child and went duck hunting with his father, they would pick up trash left by other hunters in the forest and take it all to the dump.
In 2006, Anton«s life almost ended: he fell from a height and was badly injured, spent a month in a coma, and underwent five brain surgeries. Doctors gave him a third-degree disability, and he is missing half his skull—it»s replaced with a plate.
Despite his health problems, Anton has been regularly cleaning streets, bus stops, and courtyards since 2009. For free. His personal record is 215 bags of trash in one day. Every summer, he can be seen at Green Meadow, the city beach, or Central Park of Culture and Leisure.
Anton«s workday begins at 06:00. Before lunch, he works part-time as a street cleaner, and then goes to do good deeds.
In summer and autumn, street cleaning takes Anton 2–4 hours. In winter, he says, it«s easier and faster to clean up.
«I don«t want to work officially. If I were officially employed, I wouldn»t have time to do good deeds. I spend practically the whole day on it. I go out in the morning, work until 12:00, then have lunch and go do good deeds. Now the days are getting longer, it gets dark late. So I manage to get a lot of work done in a day,» the volunteer explains. «After my main work, I go clean the streets for free: under houses, under windows. Over all these years, I already know where there«s a lot of trash, so I constantly go there. I was offered another side job.»
Recently, blogger Anastasiagav wrote in her Telegram channel that on Yefimov Street in the 203rd microdistrict, no one was clearing snow from the roadside, leaving pedestrians nowhere to walk. The street is not yet paved—repairs are scheduled only for this year—but residents use this road every day. Anton Vasiliev went without a word and cleaned it the same day. It took him 1.5 hours.
People now write under Anastasiagav«s post that Anton should come clean trash for them too, pointing out areas like the 17th Block and the GRES power plant district.
«I already clean often on the Block. There«s a spot there, opposite the Aigul store that sells draft beer, next to a dismantled old two-story house. People leading an immoral lifestyle constantly gather there. I go and clean up after them. I also often go to the GRES area,» Anton says.
The volunteer has had a tradition since 2017—washing the floors in the Transfiguration Cathedral during the first days of the new year. This year he plans to do it too, though later.
Townspeople are astonished that the city hall isn«t ashamed that for 23 years, instead of the relevant organizations, Anton has been responsible for the cleanliness of streets and stops. The volunteer himself isn»t resentful.
«I have regular spots I«ve been cleaning for many years. This is the courtyard at 7 Yaroslavsky Street, the bus stop near School No. 2, the sidewalks along Poyarkov and under the windows of the residential building at 8 Chernyshevsky Street. I clear bus stops of snow and ice every winter. The city isn»t ashamed, the city is used to me,» says Anton.
‘Girls Don«t Need a Man Like Me’
Anton is over 40, unmarried, and calls himself «single, young.» As he admits, girls aren«t interested in him.
«Mom says: ‘Antonych, get married.’ I answer: ‘Yes, everything in its own time will come.’ But frankly, who would look at me? I work as a street cleaner, I have a third-degree disability. Girls don«t need a man like me. Hiding the truth or believing in fairy tales, in love—that»s not me, I moved past that long ago. I had a relationship, I had a loved one. I pursued her for a very long time, but couldn«t win her over. We parted ways. Most likely because I do volunteer work. Even though I do good deeds, people don»t like it. I practically have no future.»
For the sake of family, Anton doesn«t want to change his lifestyle.
«On the contrary, I believe I«ll meet a girl who will accept me as I am.»
When asked what he does in his free time, Anton couldn«t answer immediately. For him, this concept doesn»t exist.
«What is free time? I just came home now, I«m drinking tea, then I»ll go do good deeds. Otherwise, I don«t live alone, but with my mom. She»s already 75. She«s ill, I help her: I cook meals, give massages, give medicine,» the volunteer explains.
‘Choron of Good’—A Project That Helped 72 Children
Since 2013, Anton has been running the social project «Choron of Good» (choron is a traditional Yakut wooden goblet) in Yakutia—helping large families and those in need. Last year he launched his project for the seventh time, but already in the Nizhnekolymsky District. Over the years, many officials of the republic have participated, including Yakutsk Mayor Yevgeny Grigoryev, who bought warm winter clothes for one family.
«First, I find sponsors in Yakutsk, provide them with all the sizes, they buy the clothes, and I handle all the logistics. I send families hats, jackets, shoes, and everything necessary for the children. That«s how I spin around. We»ve already helped 72 children. Strangers helping strangers—that«s great. The government of Yakutia supports me with logistics, the Yakutsk city hall, the Public Chamber, and other organizations. People actively participate in the project. Now there»s one family: a father is raising children alone—his wife died last year. I«ll look for sponsors for him. He lives in the Nizhnekolymsky District,» Anton shares.
Not only those in need reach out to Anton, but also those wanting to help. For example, one Yakutsk businesswoman has been contacting him before the New Year since 2016 to find families needing support.
«Lyudmila Anatolyevna is a small business owner. Before the New Year, she bought a new bed for a single mother—her daughter, who is already 17, had been sleeping on the floor the whole time, they are low-income. For another family, Lyudmila bought groceries and New Year«s gifts,» the volunteer recounts.
Anton constantly helps 75 children from low-income families in 4 naslegs (rural settlements) of the Nizhnekolymsky District. He looks for sponsors to buy them warm clothes.
A Small but Important Dream
In 2024, Anton«s volunteer life changed: he was offered a side job, and for the past year and a half he has been cleaning trash and clearing the area near the ‘1000 Little Things’ shopping center for money. Last year, he started cleaning streets in 3 districts under a verbal agreement with one of the city administration»s contractors.
«He has a contract with the city hall. He offered me a side job. These are the same streets I«ve been cleaning of trash every day for many years. But here you clean these places and get a salary for it. It was very good. I agreed, and I»ve been working for the fifth month now. I clean the Central, Gubinsky, and Oktyabrsky districts. I divided the streets into sections. Today I cleaned Oyunsky, Kalandarishvili, Petrovsky, Lermontov, and Turgenev streets. The entrepreneur promised to pay me 50,000 rubles (approximately $550 at current rates), but pays irregularly: the city hall has delayed the salary since November. In December he paid me from his own money. And for January I haven«t received it yet,» Anton said.
The volunteer admits that not everyone would want to be in his place, let alone «work for free»: the work is hard, exhausting, and many who worked as cleaners for the same entrepreneur at the ‘1000 Little Things’ shopping center quit after a couple of months.
Anton needs money to continue his «Choron of Good» project. This year, the Yakutsk volunteer plans to go federal—he plans to move to Chita (Russia).
«There«s an agreement to launch the project in Zabaikalsky Krai. As soon as I earn the first sum, I»ll fly immediately. I need 200,000–300,000 rubles ($2,200–$3,300 at current rates) to purchase clothes and food to help those in need. I«ll buy everything in Chita right away—it»s all cheaper than here. Now I«m looking for sponsors and saving money from side jobs. Most likely, it will happen in summer or autumn,» says Anton.
According to him, through Chita activists, he managed to agree with the government of Zabaikalsky Krai to launch the «Choron of Good» project in other districts as well.
«It«s a relay baton. If everything works out, we»ll launch the project in other regions of the country. I also have an opportunity to go to Kazakhstan. I think, why not launch ‘Choron of Good’ there?» dreams Anton Vasiliev.
Despite the lack of income and personal life, looking back, Anton regrets nothing.
«I am not disappointed. On the contrary, I become stronger every year. I do good deeds so there will be more good in this world. I expect nothing in return. No one owes you anything. You owe the Universe. That«s the principle I live by,» Anton concluded.
