January 09, 2024

A Freezing Winter


A Freezing Winter
Moskva River. Moscow, Russia. Vyacheslav Argenberg, Wikimedia Commons

A series of accidents at facilities in Moscow and surrounding areas have left thousands of Russians without heat. Meanwhile, temperatures outside have plummeted to -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit).

In Moscow, over 20 buildings were left without heat due to a fire. Meanwhile, in Moscow Oblast, an a heating pipeline accident in the Podolsk District left 173 building, housing approximately 21,000 persons, without heat. Burst pipes in entrances led to temperatures inside apartments as low as 13 to 15 degrees Celsius (55 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit). According to Mash, at a Podolsk hospital patients had to be warmed with special heat guns.

Several other cities in the Moscow Oblast, including Khimki, Balashikha, Solnechnogorsk, Lyubertsy, and Elektrostal, also experienced heating failures due to utilities accidents.

Solnechnogorsk faced heating and electricity problems as early as October of last year. In the Vystrel District, many apartments recorded temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit), leading to mold formation on walls. In December, residents made an appeal to President Vladimir Putin, with one resident saying via video message, "We will soon freeze from the cold like during the Siege of Leningrad."

Heating issues have occurred in other parts of Russia as well. In mid-December, residents of Samara, a major city on the Volga, reported freezing temperatures in some buildings. Similarly, residents of Omsk, one of the largest cities in Siberia, and Chita, the capital of the Zabaykalsky Krai, highlighted problems with heating and infrastructure. A particularly severe case occurred in December, in Khakassia, where temperatures as low as -40 degrees Celsius (-40 degrees Fahrenheit), coupled with heating and electricity problems, prompted the declaration of a state of emergency in several villages. Residents of the town of Kalinino sought refuge in the local airport building.

You Might Also Like

A Snowy Protest
  • December 21, 2023

A Snowy Protest

After a week of heavy snow, Voronezh locals painted snowdrifts with calls for the local government to finally remove them.
Occupation Is Expensive
  • December 03, 2023

Occupation Is Expensive

An independent Russian news outlet reported that Russia is worse off economically because of its actions in Ukraine since 2013.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955