Hello!

I'm Maxim Polyakov, a correspondent for the online magazine ‘7x7’.

One week ago, the dam protecting the town of Orsk from floods was breached. Between 4500 and 6500 houses are now submerged, according to various reports. Orsk residents blame local authorities for initially downplaying the danger and for a slow evacuation response as the flooding worsened. The disaster has also demonstrated that ordinary people are more efficient in assisting each other and saving domestic animals than professional rescuers. In this newsletter, I'll discuss how the authorities have lost public trust on multiple levels after the flood.

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Context

Here are a few facts to help you understand what is going on in several Russian regions near the Kazakhstan border.

• On April 5, one of the two dams protecting the town of Orsk in Orenburg Oblast from floods was breached. An emergency evacuation was initiated in one of the town districts, with rescuers using boats to transport residents from their flooded houses in the middle of the night. 
• On April 6, the second dam also burst, resulting in nearly half of the town being submerged and the shutdown of electricity and water supplies in flooded houses. 
• Officials stated that they would pay 20,000 rubles (approximately 200 euros) to individuals whose houses were affected by the flood. On April 8, Orsk residents spontaneously rallied in the town center, urging authorities to increase the compensation amount, as many of them lost almost all their property, including cars and home appliances. Under pressure, authorities agreed to significantly raise the compensation payouts. 
• On April 9, the Ural River burst its banks in the major city of Orenburg. Rescuers evacuated over 7,700 individuals, including 1707 children, across the region. The Ministry of Emergency Situations is deploying new rescue squads to Orenburg Oblast. In total, 39 Russian regions have been affected by floods.

Cats on Roofs

During the first two days of the Orsk flood, I saw hundreds of photos and videos taken by rescuers and volunteers. Some of them featured dogs and cats hiding on roofs of flooded houses as volunteers tried to save them. I was surprised by the number of such videos, which exceeded a hundred. How come that so many people abandoned their pets in the flood? Did they willingly leave them behind during evacuation?

I wasn't the only one who noted this phenomenon. Many social media users commented on the videos, asking why Orsk residents left the flood zone without their pets. I began investigating, and here's what I discovered.

According to rescuers’ regulations, it is prohibited to take domestic animals on boats and other life-saving means of transport. Here's a comment from a local rescuer in an online chat:

“Imagine if you are allowed to take a cat on the boat, and some member of the rescue squad is allergic. Instead of continuing the rescue mission, we would have to sail towards the bank to help this person. The likelihood of this is not high, but it is easier to impose a full ban than to allow such a situation. This is why people are asked to leave pets at home, open the windows or let them in the attic, and place some food. This is a horrible rule, as they say, it is written in blood.”

Additionally, I found an explanation from some of the rescued individuals. They also mentioned the regulations but added that they were not always implemented.

“There is indeed such a rule, but each squad leader decides whether to apply it or not, to take cats and dogs on board or not. We saw many rescuers allowing it.”

Despite this, there are still hundreds of cats and dogs left in the flood zone, and volunteers have come to their rescue. On the third day of the flood, Orsk residents organized an unofficial assistance system. Here's how it works:

• In various town districts, boatmen are on duty. Residents call them to verify specific addresses and search for abandoned cats and dogs. However, the boatmen aren't always successful in rescuing the pets. For instance, one volunteer came to the specified address, but the dog that he was supposed to take on board started to bite. In this video, he urges the owners to come and pick the dog up by themselves.
• Rescued pets are then delivered to temporary shelters. As it turns out, there are already more than five such facilities, accommodating cats and dogs. People contribute by bringing food, mats, collars, muzzles, and warm blankets.
• Orsk residents have also swiftly developed support networks. There are multiple Telegram chats and VK groups, moderated by volunteers, which facilitate the exchange of information on lost and found pets. 

To me, this story illustrates how people can come together and organize themselves without relying on authorities. It often occurs when the state fails to meet its responsibilities and thus forces citizens to ask themselves whether they need such a state at all. 

If Orsk residents continue challenging the officials with questions after the flood, I would expect them to face pressure from the authorities. Unfortunately, during the last 20 years, the state has developed a habit of intimidating citizens instead of solving their problems.

PR Disaster

Several hundred Orsk residents came to  the town's central square on April 8, demanding an increase in compensation payouts for their destroyed property.

Two hours before the impromptu rally, the prosecutor’s office for Orenburg Oblast issued a press release urging residents to refrain from gathering at the main square because the protest was not authorized.

For the past few years, a law has been in place in Russia requiring citizens to obtain permission before organizing any mass gatherings. Since its introduction, it became evident that it targeted only protest movements. You may want to oppose the state, but the state itself will not allow you to do it. The comments left by Orsk residents under the prosecutor’s office press release were rather snarky:

• “They drowned the town, made its residents whipping boys, and provided us with meager compensations.”
• "Let’s be patient for another 30 years, and then it will certainly be fine."
• "People are desperate, and now what, are you going to beat them with batons as well?!"
• "It’s high time to make some administrative arrests, suddenly there is time and manpower for that."
• "We have nothing more to be afraid of!!!"
• "What happened to Orsk? It drowned ©"

Despite the officials’ threats, Orsk residents still took to the streets. The mayor attempted to address them through a loudspeaker, but the protesters did not listen, and he quickly left the square.

Approximately 20 participants in the spontaneous rally were invited to the town administration to meet Governor Denis Pasler, who did not provide any optimistic answers to the questions raised by locals. However, he promised that the authorities would increase the previously mentioned compensation amount.

The governor also had to comment on the statement made by Alexander Kurenkov, the Minister of Emergency Situations, who came to Orsk on the third day of the flood and accused its residents of the tragedy. Kurenkov alleged that the whole region had been warned about the necessity of evacuation one week before the flood, but people considered it a joke.

It quickly became apparent that the official was lying. This clearly outraged the residents of Orsk, and they demanded an explanation from Governor Pasler.

“What we see in Orenburg Oblast is the result of the state not being ready for the flood. Authorities are used to reporting to those above them, not the citizens. There has not been a proper dialogue between the state and society for a long time. In a crisis situation like the one we are witnessing, this dialogue cannot develop normally, it does not come easy,” explained political scientist Andrey Petrov.

During the past 20 years, Putin has been solving similar issues in various Russian regions by ‘stuffing’ their budgets with money. It seems that he is going to resort to this strategy to appease the residents of Orsk, too. It is worth noting, however, that Russia can allocate much fewer funds for these purposes now, compared to its capacities before February 24, 2022.

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