Russia's Burning Problem

By: Alexsei Kuznetzov
Topics: World Watch

This story was written by CBS News' Alexsei Kuznetsov in Moscow.

Unable to move unaided, 23 people died in a devastating fire that completely destroyed a government nursing home in the northern Russian town of Podyelsk.

(AP Photo/KomiOnline)

The single-storey wooden building, constructed in 1964, was already engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived. By then, there was no one left to be rescued — only 4 people managed to escape from the burning building.

The exact cause of the blaze in Podyelsk hasn't yet been announced, but it's clear already that at least some of the blame lies with the local authorities who ran the facility.

According to Russia's Emergency Situations ministry, the nursing home's manager had been fined a number of times in the past for neglecting fire safety rules, and nurses would go home for the night, leaving the elderly patients unattended.

(AP Photo/KomiOnline)

They were repeatedly told to install smoke detectors, but didn't.

So as the official investigation continues, experts are already pointing fingers at the two most probable causes; an outrageous neglect of fire safety rules, and Russia's decrepit infrastructure.

"Facilities like the nursing home in Podyelsk have been burning in Russia on a regular basis," said Boris Nemtsov, a former Russian Deputy Prime Minister and now a member of the political opposition.

(AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel)

"Elderly people also have been dying in these fires on a regular basis," Nemtsov (at left) told CBS News.

Indeed, fires have been killing Russians with alarming frequency. In 2008, more than 15,000 people died in fires — about five times more than in the U.S. — even though Russia's population is less than half. Since the beginning of 2009, fires have already claimed close to 2,000 lives here.

These hair-raising statistics are an indicator of the daunting state of affairs inside Russia. The Kremlin may pretend to be regaining superpower status internationally, but domestically the situation remains grim. And one of the biggest problems is the country's aging infrastructure — substandard buildings, dilapidated electrical and heating systems in public housing and rural homes, old and often dysfunctional fire-fighting equipment, lack of finance, and widespread disregard for safety codes.

Social factors such as high rates of smoking and alcohol abuse add insult to injury. Intoxicated people are often unable to escape fires they inadvertently start themselves.

Over the past two years alone, fires swept through at least half a dozen social institutions; including orphanages, nursing homes and schools, claiming more than 100 lives. Many of these victims were either bedridden elderly people or disabled patients of medical institutions.

The bigger underlying problem, Mr. Nemtsov believes, is the government's indifference to its own people.

"Ordinary people mean nothing to the current cynical and corrupt regime — nothing at all. Especially the elderly — they are unable to work, they do not pay taxes, they are politically innocuous, they only require to be looked after – so the regime may not even bother to spend any money on these helpless old people. They have no one left to stand up for them."

The opposition politician says that as long as defense spending, security services and showy displays of the country's military might remain the government's priority, Russia does not have much of a future.

"If the current Russian government continues with its present-day course, Russia will soon see a degradation of all its systems — from the infrastructure to the social sphere — and a final utter bankruptcy of its statehood."

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by edintex February 4, 2009 11:19 PM EST: Their (RUSSIANS) policy seems to be just enough military to keep the West at bay, while they dump vast amounts into civil projects. After eighty years of bad management, they got a lot of catching up to do.
Posted by InTheShade at 04:34 PM : Feb 04, 2009

Pouring vast amounts into civil projects seems to be Obamas plan too. Wow, I cant wait to see the same success here that the lucky Russians have had.; Reply to this comment


by intheshade-2009 February 4, 2009 7:34 PM EST: walt1944, I can''t see where they are pouring all that much into military infrastructure. They only spend a small fraction of what the US spends on military. Their policy seems to be just enough military to keep the West at bay, while they dump vast amounts into civil projects. After eighty years of bad management, they got a lot of catching up to do.; Reply to this comment


by clathrate February 4, 2009 6:10 PM EST: It sucks to be a lib...they burn em'''' alive in Russia.

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Posted by libssuckk

You are a really pathetic piece of $hit to say that about the deaths of some old folks. Go fvck yourself. I hope you roast in a fire.; Reply to this comment


by bpb58 February 4, 2009 6:00 PM EST: The system is still recovering from the Yeltsin years. It will take some time but they''re on their way. I do not understand why all this garbage is published - is it an attempt to make everyone else look so bad that the U.S. looks good again? I want to be proud of my country, United States, again. Hopefully, with Obama at the helm, we''re on our way again too.; Reply to this comment


by evian_ycnan February 4, 2009 3:50 PM EST: I had a burning problem... sulfa drugs help.; Reply to this comment


by walt1944-2009 February 4, 2009 3:32 PM EST: The old USSR collapsed because Russia spent all its money on the military, rather than on rebuilding its infrastructure and on making life better for the average Russian.

When the USSR went broke and collapsed, Yeltsin tried to bring capitalism into the country but the only ones who got rich were the Russian Mafia.

Now both Putin and Medvedev are swinging the country back towards a dictatorship, pouring their profits from oil into the military and the infrastructure and Russian people be d-a-m-n-e-d!

Why is it that people in power, both in Russia and HERE, never seem to learn anything????????

HAIL OBAMA???; Reply to this comment


by mrjoshcan February 4, 2009 12:38 PM EST: If Wood is an abundant commodity in Russia, so must be oil. DrIll baby DrIll.; Reply to this comment


by jgunther7 February 4, 2009 11:09 AM EST: Wood is an abundant commodity in Russia, and the reason many of the old buildings are made of wood and are prone to decay and fire hazards. Russia has inherited a vast array of dilapidated structures from the old socialist Soviet Government. It will take some time and a lot of money to upgrade them to modern standards. The Russian people are very much aware of the shortcomings of a Soviet system, and the cause for their dilemma. As a result, they are becoming more market oriented, and in many cases, even more market oriented than Western Countries. They have studied the Western governments in great detail and are devising a completely new system for themselves, and one that will hopefully avoid the mismanagement, graft and corruption that is bringing down the West. While the United States and Europe shifts to socialism and government bailouts, Russia is progressing to a free enterprise system. Rather than repair their old structures, they are opting to build entirely new structures, and to building a whole new info structure of super high-speed 250 mph rail systems, digital TV, high-speed communications, and environmentally friendly power sources. They are leapfrogging directly from the very old, to the new, without bothering to maintain the existing. They have determined that this is the fastest way for them to develop. The statements made in the article are very much 1960%u2019s cold war dogma, and have little resemblance to the new reality.; Reply to this comment


by jon_mccain February 4, 2009 11:05 AM EST: One look at the headline and I was sure this story was about venereal disease in Russia. The CBS editors need to come up with better headlines.; Reply to this comment


by ahrats February 4, 2009 9:33 AM EST: All the blame should on Putin (stalinist) and his govenrment. Stalin never cared about the people, oh sorry Putin never cared about the people just his image on the world. Russia is much like the U.S. where we have a aging infrstructure but the U.S. has yet to cut back on services (fire, police) Putin is more interested in making the U.S. look bad on the world stage and is promoting IRAN to do it.; Reply to this comment