Velikiye Luki - a town capitalism abandoned!

Trip Start Sep 03, 2008
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Trip End Nov 13, 2008


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Flag of Russian Federation  , North-West Russia,
Sunday, September 21, 2008

Velikiye Luki is a great example of a town which has not yet recovered from the collapse of the Soviet Union and Communism. In fact, it probably provides you with a window into how probably most of Russians live!
During the Soviet period the town housed several factories, none of which are operational today and remain as empty shells. The introduction of capitalism noted the factories were not profitable so they were closed; buildings and equipment abandoned and left to rust.
The town shows signs of neglect, buildings are falling apart while people still live in them. That said there was evidence people took pride in areas their 'owned', such as house interiors, exemplified by numerous beautiful vases and plant pots adorning window sills.
In our walk around the town we came across numerous large fountains which appeared to have not been used for years with garbage collected in their base. Shellie and I were surprised by the cleanliness (or lack there of) for a town with a population estimated to be around 100,000. For example, behind one of the multi-story housing developments, on the bank of the river, there was a shanty town. People building houses in a location which developers do not want, yet potentially prone to flooding.

All in all, the town was a healthy reminder of the inequities that exist in wealth across Russia. It reminded me of when you visit outback Australia and see Indigenous communities and their housing; although on a much bigger scale!
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