“Today in Moscow there was a record amount of precipitation for the entire winter. The city has concentrated all the necessary equipment for snow removal. Additional forces have been brought in. It will take several days to completely eliminate the consequences of the snowfall. But in the coming hours the situation on the main highways of the city will be stabilized,” he said on the morning of March 2, 2016. This happened after Moscow experienced 9-point traffic jams after a night cyclone that dumped a 20-centimeter layer of snow throughout the city - 70% monthly norm. Meteorologists say that last time In the history of observations, a cataclysm of similar power was observed in Moscow 80 years ago.
And a little earlier, Deputy Mayor of the Capital and Public Improvement Pyotr Biryukov said that 15,500 units of equipment were deployed to combat snow and work was being carried out around the clock. Muscovites, on their way to work, saw a completely different picture. In the courtyard driveways, where the asphalt was black just yesterday evening, there is a snowfall 7-10 centimeters thick. Parked cars have been covered with snow dumps since the night after the last tractor passed. On the streets, early in the morning, cleaning equipment piled snow from the road onto the far right lanes and calmed down. And it is completely unclear where and with what kind of snow the 15.5 thousand virtual Biryukov-Sobyanin cleaning units are constantly fighting.
One can, of course, assume that the slender columns of orange KamAZ trucks with brushes and snow plows are continuously ironing precisely those outbound highways where we are this moment No. But where did the harvesting tractors that habitually growl in the mornings from our yards “concentrate” all at once? Folk sign says: if you hear a tractor outside the window on a winter morning, it means that there was snow at night, if there was any snow. Silence means that the harvesting equipment is prudently sitting in safe place, because there was really a lot of precipitation. The statement that the consequences of the snowfall will be eliminated within a few days should be taken as follows.
Judging by the weather forecast, a powerful thaw has arrived in Moscow - for at least a week the thermometer will remain above zero even at night. During this time, all freshly fallen snow is guaranteed to melt by itself. This way the consequences of snowfall will be eliminated. A capital authorities“they will take a pie from the shelf” for selfless struggle with the elements. The main thing now is that the city's storm drains do not choke.
But to be honest, people with such “professionalism” cannot be trusted to manage the capital; at best, they can be entrusted with herding deer. And even that is risky.
Last weekend, a record amount of snow fell in Moscow. Even if the city authorities are still doing their best to clean up the roads, most of the courtyards still remain uncleaned. The wipers all disappeared as one in an unknown direction. But huge snowdrifts remained...
- Where are the wipers? It's impossible to pass! The snow is not removed at all! Old people will break their legs. They wanted to organize a cleanup day, but couldn’t find a shovel. Almost drowned in the snow!!!
- They don’t clear the snow at all! We don't have a sidewalk, but a folk trail. On one side there is a snowdrift, on the other there are cars in a snowdrift. Make your way as you wish.
—Where are utility workers looking? Our January snow has not yet been removed - there are huge piles in the middle of the yard. It's impossible to leave. And now there is a new snowfall - now, apparently, it will remain until spring...
Mitino area. There are huge snowdrifts in the yards. Car owners, swearing, try to free their cars from snow captivity. Many gave up on this matter, apparently hoping for a thaw to come. People make their way to stops along “goat paths”, cursing both the clumsy capital authorities and all the cyclones and anticyclones combined.
Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Housing and Public Utilities and Landscaping Petr Biryukov states that 17 thousand units of cleaning equipment and 80 thousand people work in Moscow. At the same time, he reports that removing the snow that fell during a blizzard would require a train the length of the Earth’s equator...
After these cheerful words, Muscovites realized that it seemed they could not get help and were now trying to eliminate the consequences of the snowfall on their own. There was even a spontaneous flash mob on the Internet - those who, without waiting for the help of city services, independently stood up to fight the snow. Residents post photos with snowdrifts in the background and the standard joke: “I saved on gym».
Maria, resident of the Sokol district: “I just had to do it! The day before, my husband was clearing the passage to the entrance. The utilities never made it to our yard, and our neighbors don't do that kind of thing. I was unhappy, so my son and I went out and left the snow.”
Elena, a resident of the Airport district: “Almost all motorists in the yard who have a shovel and strength, while cleaning their car, also cleared some parts of the yard, paths and areas in front of the entrance. The fact that we do not have the most successful city and district managers does not mean that I will love the place where I live any less. You can call all authorities for an hour and a half and foam at the mouth and demand cleaning, or you can go out and do it.”
By the way, finding shovels for clearing snow is now also possible in Moscow a big problem. Representatives of a well-known classifieds website told reporters that demand for shovels increased by 146%, and average price they rose to 3 thousand rubles. In addition, there were proposals to dig out the car from the snowdrift. The cost of the service is from 500 to 1.5 thousand rubles.
But where did the Moscow street cleaners disappear to?
“Janitors are taken to strategically important sites, such as airports, to clean there first, so they can’t always be found in courtyards,” says Dmitry Mikhailov, director of the information and legal center “Migration and Law”.— The problem is also that the number of janitors - actual workers, not legally registered ones - does not correspond to the weather conditions that Moscow faces.
"SP": - Why?
— The housing and communal services sector is mired in corruption. In fact, at each site there are more janitors registered than are actually working - a lot dead souls. Every janitor will tell you this. The area that 2-3 people should clean is cleaned by one. People whom they have never seen are registered and their salaries are paid. This problem has given rise to a shortage of workers and the paralysis of many facilities.
“SP”: — It turns out that the municipal authorities are hiring relatives as janitors?
- It is unknown who! And those who work have very small salaries - around 20 thousand rubles. Plus they are heavily fined. They don't know Russian legislation, (after all, these are, as a rule, migrant workers) are constantly subject to unreasonable penalties from management. And their earnings drop by several thousand rubles. And they are entrusted with much more objects than they should be...
And in Moscow, weather forecasters are promising snow again.
You read it on social networks and, really, it’s better not to go outside. Imagine that there is an apocalypse there. You probably can’t buy bread, much less a shovel to dig out a car. “It’s good that I don’t have a car. No car, no problem,” I’ll think.
Lots of snow. I barely dug out the car. He cursed at the utility workers. “They practically can’t cope,” my friend Mikhail complains.
So it's winter. What's surprising? It didn't fall in the summer. Not in the desert, where it has never been, I say.
In summer, everyone dreams of winter, and in winter, of summer,” he agrees.
But Misha is not the only one who is dissatisfied with the snow. I liked the joke on social networks: "When will it fall so that you all won't be shocked? Snow." That's true. For example, I don’t want a car. And the piano - yes. But for now living conditions They won't let me buy it. There is no type of parking for it. How about me? Anyway, buy it, throw it under the entrance, or under a tree and come back when needed - take it, play, and “park it” somewhere again? And then “bang” - snow. Who is guilty? Government! Why don't they dig up my piano? Utility workers are doing a bad job! Why didn't they stand and blow the snowflakes off my piano beforehand? Well, the same? You will also tell me: “Your piano is your problem.” That’s why I don’t buy it yet, because there’s nowhere to put it. Otherwise, some people live in five-story buildings where there are no underground parking lots or where there is only a children’s playground in the yard and they complain “there are not enough parking spaces.” And you buy a car not only for yourself and your wife, but also for each son, and then stamp posts on social networks with “horror, there is no room in the yard for five cars.” Seriously. Maybe buy a house with a garage first?
Cars are not my thing at all. I'll go on foot. How is it here in Otradnoye? Are they cleaning? The thermometer shows -5. Probably the door from the entrance cannot be opened? A-no. Came out. There are people on the street - mothers walking with strollers, because the footpaths are clean, a man is sweeping snow from his car.
Did you buy a shovel specifically today? - I ask, having read on the Internet that there are queues for shovels in stores.
No. She’s already 10 years old. She needs it every winter,” the man laughs.
On the way to the metro, I meet seven utility workers clearing snow with shovels. There is an entrance to the station - the stairs are almost without snow. Maybe I'm going alone on the subway? Yes you. There are a lot of people, as well as things to do. Here is a father leading his children from a famous cafe, he has a glass of coffee, and the children have balloons. But a woman tells her friend that she didn’t buy boots yesterday, she regretted it all evening - so she goes to get them.
I reach the Chekhovskaya station. The streets are busy. There are a lot of utility workers: they throw shovels, use mini-excavators to form snow into large piles. There's a lot of snow, yes. But you can really take a walk in the center - the sidewalks are clean, the cafes are open. Near some there are warning signs “beware of snow”, “possible falling of icicles”.
Don't you see the red ribbon? - the utility worker shouts to the girl.
“Oh, thank you,” she will say and see that snow is being thrown off the roof.
They call me from the VDNKh press service and warn me not to come to the skating rink.
You are with us almost every weekend. But today the skating rink is closed.
Shouldn’t you just come to VDNKh for a walk? - I’ll clarify.
The skating rink in Gorky Park has also changed its operating hours. "Due to heavy snowfall, the evening session at the Stereo Skating Rink is canceled on February 4. The children's skating rink will also be closed from 15.00."
In the end, you can go to Zaryadye, a gallery, or go shopping - without having to escape the Moscow Ring Road, for example, but go to shopping centers near the subway. Or just spend a day off with your family, make dumplings at home or snowmen in the yard. Let's enjoy winter, snow and say "thank you" to the utility workers who clear the snow. Yes, you can’t manage everywhere at the same time, how many employees do you need? So that all Asian countries come to us? Maybe we can just be patient? And, if we need it faster, then we’ll take the shovels ourselves? In the meantime, we are gaining optimism, as some Muscovites, who listen to the calls of the Ministry of Emergency Situations to “leave their cars at home”, get ski goggles, felt boots and then go to the grocery store.
