"XIXth Century Is 35 km Away From Minsk"

Minsk residents have built country houses, but have neither roads nor energy.

In 2014, a citizen of Minsk , Pavel bought a land plot in the Buzuny village, Valozhyn district. Like many of his neighbors, this year he has managed to build a house and is ready to live there, but he actually cannot. This part of the village misses roads, electricity, and running water. Journalists of tut.by examined the situation and found out what would happen with the development of infrastructure.

Within two years there have been developed no project, roads and electricity

Pavel built his home in 2015. In winter 2016 there were 6 new "boxes" and 32 land plots of 100 had ready foundations. Some people use generators. The average land plot equals to 12 ares to improve housing conditions.

Pavel's house is almost ready; the only thing left is radiators and a fireplace. However, the pump in the heating system will not operate without power. It is possible only with the electricity.

Pavel is explained that temporary electricity should provide at their own expense. But even now it is technically impossible to do because of too large distance from the nearest electric substation. A comprehensive project for all land plots and another substation are required.

It is hard to drive to the house after rains - the road is founderous and dirty.

- In the autumn or the spring it is extremely hard to drive to the house. Trucks wear down the road and we leave the car 700 metres away and go on foot.

There is other option: to pool some money and lay pipelines on their own.

- It will be really expensive. But there is a question arises: why we need all these people in village councils, district executive committees, who earn money and must deal with these issues. What if we lay the road and electricity, who will be the owner? Will it be required to put them onto the state's books and pay for the maintenance? It does not make any sense.

Bureaucrats: "Yes, something should be done, but there is no money"

Meeting with the chairman of the village council, a collective letter, 10 addresses to the authority made by the village council ending with the call to the Vth All-Belarusian People's Assembly did not help to find out when it would be done. In 2015 Pavel sent the first address. He wanted to know when the engineering and transport infrastructure was planned to be developed.

- It is just a field. There are marks only. Someone used an earth mover to even the ground. I cut grass with a scythe and drive to the house to mark the road.

A young man was answered that the application for development of construction documents was delivered. In September 2015 Capital Projects Division of the Valozhyn district wrote that designing of engineering systems was included in the funding program for 2016. In the autumn 2015 Pavel built the house, but then in February 2016 it became clear that the Buzuny billage was not included in the program.

- Officials say: "Yes, something should be done, but there is no money". This is the main answer.

The project is the only way to lay even a temporary road.

- I even asked: at least bring some gravel and even the ground. The head of the district executive committee says: "No problem." And when you ask the head of the village council he says: "I can't do that, you do not have a project." they cannot spend the state money to drive these machines to do everything again when the project is ready.

Many people rush to put a "box", or at least begin to pour the foundation, the law requires to complete the construction within 3 years (taking into account the conservation, the period can stretch up to 8 years). Otherwise, the land plot will be appropriated.

Многие спешат поставить «коробки» или хотя бы начинают заливать фундамент, так как по закону должны завершить строительство в течение 3 лет (с учетом консервации этот срок можно растянуть и до 8 лет). Иначе участок изымут.

- There are strict commitments and they are fulfilled. And the state has no such commitments there. But, for example, Decree № 72 states that "Provision of land plots is carried out if engineering and transport infrastructure is available."

Most of all Pavel and other developers are upset that no one says, when the funding will be granted. The young man compares the current situation with the story of the neighboring village, where plots were distributed in 2012, but the financing of communication was provided in 2016. So, then it will be a long story.

- You address to the village council and ask: "How can we live?" the answer is: "Use generators." This is not the way out. We can spend winter in Italy then.

Paved area near a cemetery instead of the road for developers

Thus we've made a start anyway: on August 18 a tender for development of designing documents with 5 applications was over. One of them should be a general contractor. The project price ranges from 66 thousand 699 rubles to 103 841 thousand rubles and 23 kopecks. We have been explained in the Rakauski village executive committee that the company will be chosen in the near future, and the lead time is not specified.

"A single case in our country!", Aliaksandr Myakinka, chairman of the Rakauski village executive committee, says.

- I can't say "when", the infrastructure construction depends on funding provided by the district and the region.

And no one can answer the question "When?" According to the chairman, money raised by selling of land plots is spent on provision of regional amenities.

The starting sale price is Br 40 million. Yesterday we paved the area near the cemetery. To make it possible for people to drive closer and visit it. We have pennies to develop infrastructures! Even a year of tenders can't provide us with the necessary sum.

Paul is disappointed that the state supports the development of the countryside, but in fact developers face inaction.

- We are ready to build houses on our own and have children. What is more, we live in the countryside and do not rush into Minsk. But when we come here we feel like no one is interested in us. 35 km away from Minsk the civilization ends and the XIXth century begins.

What is the situation in other districts?

It should be noted that this is not unique situation. For example, we wrote about Zatsen village, Minsk region, last year. People were given plots in 2010 and being tired of waiting laid pipelines and so on on their own. Roads turned to be not affordable for local authorities. In September 2014 we told about large families who got plots in Tsna village, built houses and could not move into, because there were no roads, no electricity, no sanitation. A similar situation occurred a little earlier in Masyukoushchyna village. In 2014 in Halitsa village a family had been waiting for corresponding funding since 2009.

All cases are accompanied by commentary "scarcity of funds."

the Brest region is the most problematic in this sphere. Even residents of cottage settlements haven't got the minimum utilities. Therefore, almost a month ago the leadership of the Brest Regional Executive Committee decided not to allocate land plots for development without minimum utilities: electricity, running water and roads.

The head of the housing policy of the Ministry of Architecture Aliaksandr Horval talked about the state program "The construction of housing in 2016 - 2020." It states that the individual developers will be provided with utilities.