There is no one to grieve there

At the end of December, a shelter for homeless people burned out in Kemerovo - 22 people were killed. The authorities did not even declare mourning for them. Report "Medusa"

On the night of December 24, a two -story house caught fire in the private sector on the outskirts of Kemerov. By four in the morning, the fire was extinguished. Then the bodies began to take out from the burned house - by noon, rescuers counted 22 dead. The media and the authorities first called the place where this happened, the nursing home. Later it became known that this is an unregistered shelter for the homeless, which was organized by the pastor of the Gospel Christian Church Andrei Smirnov. He is now arrested, also the fire inspector Roman Pale was arrested. And it seems that most of all in Kemerovo they are not sympathetic to the victims and not to the pastor, but the accused of negligence to the inspector.

"We left hell"

On December 23, 43-year-old Sergei decided to stay at work at work-in a private shelter on Tauride Street in Kemerovo. The wife called Sergey home, she just cooked pizza. But in the morning, Sergey had to go to the clinic near the shelter - to take the results of the X -ray of one of the guests. A man home (he calls his position in the shelter the “senior”) wanted to return on Saturday, the 24th, after all affairs.

Closer to midnight, Sergei climbed into his room on the second floor, only lay down - and heard a cry of one of the guests. Jumping into the corridor, he saw that "the flame entered the second floor." He rushed back into his room, found a jacket to the touch and "jumped into sneakers." The room at this point has already been filled with carbon monoxide.

“I hapan the gas and realized, if I don’t get out now, I can’t master it anymore. I wanted to [pull out with me]. He lowered him out of the bed, but was already breathing so much ... I did not pull it out. I shouted to him: “Polzi, if you can! At least in your hands!” ”Says Sergey.

The deceased was the name of Alexei.

Sergei blindly got out of the burning house - grabbed onto all the jambs, his palms stick to hot metal. And miraculously went into the courtyard. There was already another shelter guest - Zhenya. He carried it from the second floor and dragged him to the “Angara” (as in the shelter they called the extension to the house where the warehouse was) the elderly woman Galina, who does not have both legs.

When the roof of the hangar began to collapse, the men dragged Galina to a safe place. Eugene was very burned, but tried to return to the house for other people. Sergei stopped him. “I shouted that there was nothing to do there, the roof collapsed,” he recalls.

Both guesses of the shelter, who were with Sergey in the courtyard, are now in the Kemerovo Regional Burn Center. As the Minister of Health of the Kemerovo Region said on the evening of December 24, Zhenya had 11% of his body, Galina had 51%.

Three tenants of the shelter managed to get out of the fire unharmed. This is a visually impaired Pavel, using the legs of the legs Alexei and an elderly faith. It was she who was the first to see a fire and raised the alarm.

“By some mercy of God-six of us who survived [alive]. We just left hell. Everything burned there. Sometimes I’ll sit down, I am talking to myself. How so? I recall some points and the fact that my people [died] with whom I lived there, I know someone for a very long time, ”says Sergey and begins to cry.

Talking about himself and how he became “senior” in the shelter, Sergei says: “He burned his life before disability.” And then he explains - he had an alcohol dependence. Once I got drunk on the head, the result-a traumatic brain injury, encephalopathy . Sergey still has a speech, motorcycle and coordination. Due to dependence, he also lost an apartment in Kemerovo, which his long-dead parents left him as inherited.

The fact that he did not disappear, says Sergey, the wife of his friend Svetlana played a huge role. She always supported Sergey: in 2012, for example, she helped with the design of a disability pension. In 2020, Svetlana’s husband was killed, and she decided: “[daughter] Nastya needed a father, and I knew Sergey well. [I knew] that he would never offend the child. ” She recalls how her daughter said to Sergey: “I no longer have dad. Will you be my dad? " Soon Svetlana and Sergey, who at that time did not drink for more than a year, signed and even got married (Svetlana - a parishioner of the local Orthodox Church).

Before marriage, Sergei wandered for many years and often found himself at the Kemerovo Center for Social Adaptation. There, in 2019, he learned about the pastor of the Gospel Christian Church Andrei Smirnov, who just leased a house on Tauride, 23 - for a shelter for the homeless.

The old people were peaceful

“Andrei [Smirnov] helped me become those who I am now,” says Sergey. - I do not drink, I do not smoke, I lead a normal lifestyle. I killed myself like this [dependencies], I do not want to return to what happened before. Andrey pulled me out of the mud. ”

In the summer of 2022, Pastor Smirnov invited Sergei to “engage in social work” - in his shelter open. As the "senior" Sergei needed to follow the order and help the homeless with the design of the papers. Although actually it was rather not work, but volunteering: for his work, Sergei did not receive a salary.

The building under the shelter, the young pastor Andrei Smirnov (now he is 31 years old) leased from the widow. “I looked the first time when I went: from the boards of the bunks are knocked out, some kind of mattress, a foam rubber lies, some rag there, like a bedspread. There are not even blankets really. I looked at this business, I think: “Your mother, such conditions!” It is difficult to describe ... well, in a gray, in short, ”recalls Igor , living through a few houses from the shelter. He often went to his residents often: he repaired either the heater, then the door, then plumbing.

Gradually, life in a shelter was working. In the summer, homeless people planted potatoes in the garden. The extension, which went out onto the road, was used as a store (trading there used to be led by the widowed housewife of the house) - they sold grain for feed to animals, shovels, glue and any little thing. And in outbuildings in the backyard they kept two piglets.

One piglet was scored shortly before the fire. Svetlana, Sergey’s wife, handed over a meat grinder, and women from the shelter wound the minced meat to prepare dishes for the New Year's table. The second piglet after the fire remained in a flock - the police came to Igor and offered to pick up the pig so that the animal did not die from hunger, but the neighbor refused.

The shelter, Igor says, did not bother him: the old people were peaceful - they did not climb the fences, did not steal and did not drink. The fact that the refusal of alcohol was a condition (in fact, the only one) to live in a shelter, says Sergey.

“By alcohol, we have an agreement right away: I drank - please, to the exit. The old people found smoking, I did not forbid. I just said: “Smoke on the street”. I made a gazebo in the summer, I made a table there, shops - I did it myself. He said: “Sit here, drink coffee, play cards,” recalls Sergey. He admits that the old people walked around, “fired” cigarettes and collected “bulls”. This was not forbidden to them either.

Sellers of the local Covered market "August" say they often saw the residents of the shelter. “In the summer, they often sat, begging. The locals complained that they were constantly dirty. They sat on a bench near the store. The granny climbed the trash. I see that she collects “bulls”, I say: “Come on, I will give you cigarettes.” One or two packs [gave]. Absolutely harmless grannies and grandfathers, ”says one of the sellers.

The homeless in the market was also given dented vegetables and fruits, yogurts and buns. It happened that the tenants of the shelter came with money - once a month everyone brought 400-500 rubles each. They took caramel, the simplest cookies and cheap gingerbread cookies. Often, the “senior” Sergei came in - he was remembered, because he bought 10-12 bunches of bread at a time. Saleswriters say that in the last two months (as snow fell), homeless people stopped coming.

But not everyone liked the neighborhood with the shelter on Tauride. One of the residents of the street, her name is Julia, immediately after the fire told reporters that she repeatedly wrote complaints about shelter. She commented a lot in the incident in the chat of the popular local telegram channel “Incident Kuzbass”, claiming that the leaders of the shelter selected documents from the homeless and “just earned” in public who “lived like dogs”.

Back in October 2021, Julia's posts in social networks became the reason for the report on the shelter in the local publication Sibdepo. The article said that the neighbors were dissatisfied with the smell from the pigsty, as well as the fact that "fleas and infection" divorced the house. The accusations against Andrei Smirnov sounded that he was holding people in the shelter by force. However, the journalist of Sibdepo failed to get into the house itself and find confirmation of this.

Andrei Smirnov himself then wrote to the publication that the police had already checked the shelter. And that he, Pastor, "he never hides anything from anyone." “We do not hold anyone [from the residents] and, frankly, I say, a person would be so with joy [somewhere] ourselves, but, alas, we cannot,” Smirnov added.

In a conversation with Medusa, Julia complained that she was already tired of telling reporters about a shelter. And after the question of whether she has copies of appeals that she wrote to the authorities with complaints about her neighbors, hung up the phone.

They accepted everyone

Before the fire and the arrest of his arrest, Pastor Andrei Smirnov lived with his wife and three children (the youngest - eight months) in a rented apartment in the small city of Guryevsk, which is 150 kilometers from Kemerovo. There, Smirnov preached in the Gospel Christian Church.

A little is known about the pastor: he served in the army, graduated from a technical school, took drugs at one time and was fined for theft a few years ago. And recently, in addition to pastoral activity, he was the coordinator of the Public Organization “Good deed” , established in Kemerovo by Gospel Christians.

Both this organization and the church in Guryevsk, among their goals, indicate the help of people with alcohol and drug addictions. As well as commitment to such values ​​as love, fidelity and mutual assistance. “In the fate of many members of the Church, God created a miracle of revival and renewal of life. Former violators of the law have become a full part of society and sincere, friendly citizens. Destroyed families and relationships have restored, ”the description of the church group on VKontakte says with a hundred subscribers. Judging by the publications, the community conducts active activity: it organizes gatherings with coffee, playing tables and going to the skating rink.

Even in the group, video recordings of the sermons of Andrei Smirnov were regularly published. In them, he frankly talked about his life - including drug addiction. He also talked about the rehabilitation center he discovered (as he called the shelter for the homeless in Kemerovo).

In particular , that the house on Tauride rented by him is not the first place where the shelter was located. And that the owners of one of the previous premises were asked by Smirnov and the people whom he helped, to move out due to problems with fire safety: “We brought two people, left them in the rexenter, and I went to the Mezhdurechensk for the conference. The next day they call me and say: “The house burns”. It turned out that this was not the house burned, but the boiler room - the stove was heated, but there was no water in heating. Well, at least, the house has not burned. Then we were politely asked to get out of there. ”

According to preliminary data from the Investigative Committee, a fire on Tauride could also happen due to problems with the boiler.

The fact that Smirnov’s shelter already had problems with fire safety, as well as the fact that the pastor had a difficult past and that the neighbors in Tauride complained about him is now often mentioned in the media. And in the case of the publications loyal authorities, even reasons that led to the deaths of 22 people are presented. But as the main compromising circumstance more often appears that Smirnova’s shelter was not officially formalized.

After a fire, the governor of Kuzbass Sergey Tavilev instructed to check the organizations that provide social services. At a meeting with officials, he said that all the nursing houses must be licensed and that “ the Kuzbass , the Ministry of Emergencies and the prosecutor’s office will be released with a joint appeal to make appropriate changes to the legislation.”

Smirnova’s lawyer Andrei Demenkov believes that the authorities were not registered with statements that the shelter was not registered. “It doesn’t matter that formally it was not registered as an overnight stay, as a shelter. He was not formally, but everyone was checked. Everyone saw what it was and how it [works]. [Homeless people] brought from hospitals, from the police branches to him [Smirnov] there [to Tauride], they asked to take it. I have this information from the investigation, ”says the defender.

Andrei Smirnov himself also said about the existence of a shelter for the homeless in a regular private house for the homeless. It is now repeating the "senior" of the burned house Sergey. According to him, when the guests were dying (and, given the age and health status of many of them, this often happened), the police came to the house and issued death certificates. And the police had no complaints against the shelter.

Sergey believes that the Pastor did not have enough money for the official design of the shelter. At the same time, according to him, Smirnov promised that he would soon settle all the paper affairs - and besides, he would begin to pay Sergei a salary. In order to issue everything, Smirnov (according to the "senior") took a loan - almost one and a half million rubles - and has already found a new rental for the shelter.

“And who is hunting homeless? Andrei did this from mercy, - Sergey is sure. “Although it would seem, a young guy.” Why did he need it? Carried person. He gathered the homeless to whom he could. I did not ask if the ward has a pension or not. We did not catch anyone, we did not call anyone, we just offered the house. They called me, asked: “Seryoga, brought a person, take it?” I answered: “We take anyone.” We took everyone. "There is where to put?" - "Find". "

Sergey recalls that there was a clear daily routine in the shelter. Residents were fed three times a day. Every Friday is a bath day. The elderly bought diapers. And most importantly, they helped to make documents. According to Sergey, he was well known in social protection, treated kindly, did not pay attention to the features of his speech and often passed things through him for the homeless.

He believes that some shelter was even better than the budget center of social adaptation and temporary stay, located in the same-Zavodskoy-Kemerovo area. In this center, on Pre -Zavodskaya, 6, Sergei himself often lived often (and it was there that he met Pastor Smirnov).

The conditions in the center, according to Sergey, are good: a bed, a shelf for things in a common room, in the kitchen - a microwave. But they feed only once a day . Therefore, he and Andrei Smirnov prepared food and brought her to the center once a week, on Fridays. “Lapshik with a sausage, another time gruel. It didn’t work to feed on the street - it cools down, so we bought plastic vessels so that they [the residents of the center] then could warm up [in the microwave], ”says Sergey.

On December 26, during a meeting of the Central Court of Kemerovo, to the election of Andrei Smirnov, a preventive measure, investigators said that the pastor pleaded guilty. Lawyer Andrei Demenkov says that the defense will not be arrested yet - he wants a hype to settle. His client, explains Demenkov, now wants to be alone.

“He, by the way, asked the Bible. He wants to decide on his soul, as he said. He does not even know how to story himself - in the sense of how fault it is, how much it is to carry and how to carry this guilt. He has not yet realized how many people died, ”says lawyer Demenkov.

The wife of Pastor Olga Smirnova refused a conversation with Medusa. According to her husband’s lawyer, she is now breastfeeding the baby and is very worried. Another pastor of the church, to which Smirnov belongs, Pavel Protasov, wrote to Medusa that he did not want to speak with reporters, because he has no confidence in the media. Smirnov himself in the courtroom also did not answer the questions of journalists - he said that he considered the behavior of the press Hamsky, and compared it to the "locust".

Found the switchman

On December 26, in connection with the fire on the Tauride, the Central Court of Kemerova placed another person in the pre -trial detention center - the fire inspector Roman Plette. He was responsible for the factory district of the city where the shelter was.

Plette’s lawyer Irina Krivopalova says: “He cannot really say anything yet, because he is dumbfounded by all this, he does not admit his guilt, as he said in court. Because he believes that everything that depended on him did. And he believes that those persons who were supposed to respond to, so to speak, his initial actions, did nothing. He cannot jump above his own height. He has a guide that he cannot get around, and without the knowledge of the leadership he cannot do anything. ”

At that meeting, Roman Pale said that he turned to his leadership and asked to appoint an extraordinary verification of the shelter. Делал это, как утверждает его адвокат, и письменно, и устно — на планерках.

В суде сторона защиты просила не арестовывать Плета: его любят и уважают на работе, 12 лет из своих 33 он проработал в МЧС, начинал с пожарного, потом был аттестован на инспектора. Плет в разводе, но у него есть маленький ребенок.

«А на суде его представляли [со стороны следствия] как авторитетного человека, который обладает обширным кругом связей, и если он останется на свободе, то может уничтожить улики, вещдоки и повлиять на свидетелей. И продолжить преступную деятельность. А преступная деятельность, исходя из того, что говорили следователи, заключалась в том, что он пытался проверить дом, который сгорел. Никто [из присутствовавших] в суде не верил, что это [все на самом деле] происходит», — описывает ощущения от заседания журналист издания NGS42.ru Александр Левчук.

В местных пабликах Плета многие поддерживают , говорит адвокат Ирина Кривопалова. Там даже звучала идея запустить петицию в его поддержку. И это очень отличается от ситуации с «Зимней вишней» , когда многие люди в Кемерове возлагали вину за произошедшее на МЧС. «Общественное мнение формируется против его [Романа Плета] ареста. Люди говорят, что [власти] нашли стрелочника. И я с людьми согласна», — замечает адвокат Кривопалова.

Сочувствует Плету и Сергей, бывший «старший» приюта. Он предполагает, что пожарный инспектор мог пострадать «ни за что», но при этом добавляет, что сам Плета в здании на Таврической ни разу не видел.

«Те, кто в доме мне помогали, они мне не сказали, что к нам кто-то приходил. Мне всегда любая информация сразу поступала. Даже старичка 1943 года [рождения] у нас бабушка навещала, так мне всегда говорили: „Сережа, к нам приехала бабушка, куда ее можно пустить?“ При мне никто не осматривал дом», — утверждает «старший».

Сергею важно добавить, что в приюте было два огнетушителя — на кухне и на окне в лестничном пролете между первым и вторым этажом. И что пастор Смирнов регулярно спрашивал у Сергея, на месте ли эти огнетушители.

« Траур? In connection with what? "

Сообщение о пожаре появилось в телеграм-канале губернатора Кузбасса Сергея Цивилева в первые часы после случившегося.

Журналист Александр Левчук вспоминает, что сперва люди в Кемерове активно искали информацию о происшествии и переживали за погибших. «Но когда стало известно, что там был приют для бездомных, интерес сразу пропал. Когда мы приехали туда, к месту пожара, там не было никого, кроме силовиков и спасателей. Там даже соседи-зеваки не ходили. Я работал на „Зимней вишне“, туда полгорода приехало. Потому что никто не знал, есть ли там их друзья, близкие, родственники. Здесь, по ходу, все узнали, что ни у кого [в приюте] ни друзей, ни родственников нет», — рассказывает журналист.

Александр Левчук говорит, что он и его коллеги интересовались у региональных властей, будет ли после пожара в приюте на Таврической объявлен траур в Кемеровской области: «Они [чиновники] какое-то время думали-думали и потом короткой строкой дали, что траура не будет. Объяснений никаких официально никто не дал. Неофициально говорят: у людей нет родственников, близких, горевать там некому. All".

Начальница департамента информационной политики администрации правительства Кузбасса Екатерина Дубкова в разговоре с «Медузой» подтвердила, что траур по погибшим объявляться не будет. На вопрос, какая у этого решения причина, Дубкова ответила: «А какая причина должна быть? Нелегальный вообще приют, и даже не для престарелых. Вот траур — в связи с чем?»

После встречного замечания, что в связи с гибелью большого количества людей, чиновница предложила написать этот вопрос через телеграм и пообещала дать ответ письменно. На сообщение в мессенджере Дубкова не ответила. Кроме того, в областном минздраве сообщили, что им запрещено комментировать состояние здоровья пострадавших и эту информацию можно получить только через пресс-службу главы региона. Этот вопрос Дубкова тоже проигнорировала.

Представитель Следственного комитета по Кемеровской области затруднилась сказать, когда могут состояться похороны 22 погибших. Сейчас проводится ДНК-экспертиза для их идентификации.

На месте пожара до сих пор стоит круглосуточное оцепление полиции, но вокруг никого больше нет, родственников или близких тут тоже не видели. Под ленточкой, которой огорожено место происшествия, из сугроба торчит одна ветка искусственного цветка с тремя красно-оранжевыми бутонами.

Алевтина Дармаева , Кемерово ( «Медуза» благодарит проект ГЛУШ за помощь при создании этого материала )