An impression...
Villages cluster along both banks of the river Syass on its way NW towards Lake Ladoga, the largest inland lake in Europe. Our own village, just 10 km from the lake, is however a little different. For a start, it is smaller than the others, with just four houses, a farm, a garden workshop, a few farm buildings and a banya (Russian sauna.). There also appears to be much more common activity than in the neighboring villages. Another feature is that about half of the 35-40 people who live here are developmentally disabled or, in need of special understanding. If you happen to be taking a stroll through the village, they may come up to you and ask where you are from. They might also ask about your family. Before very long it can be surprising how much they have already found out about you...
You may wonder about the other people who simply greet you and walk on. They could be foreigners, for this is an international community. Half of the co-workers are Russian, and the other half are from various Western countries. Visitors from all parts of the former Soviet Union, from Europe and beyond, give our remote village a cosmopolitan rainbow quality.
So what are we all doing here? Well, once the growing season begins, our interest is taken up almost entirely by the land. (Keep in mind that the short growing season this far north demands extraordinary diligence, and timing.) There is a large (1.5 acre) vegetable garden, supplied with seedlings from our own greenhouse; fields of potatoes, grain and fodder beets; as well as hay fields and pastures. We have a herd of ten milking cows, a bull and some young stock; and pigs and chickens. We try and produce as much of our own food as possible, and have managed since 1997 to be fully self-sufficient in terms of vegetables, milk, meat and dairy products (i.e. yoghurt, cheese, cream cheese, sour cream). Vegetables are stored over winter in a large earth cellar, herbs and seeds are dried and processed in a garden workshop above it. Regular canning and preserving is done in the houses throughout the summer and fall, and periodic butchering often ends up being a remarkably social event for which mothers and friends of the village come and help out. There is also a dairy that produces all the dairy products for the village, as well as hard cheeses to be sold at local markets.
During our long winters - sometimes 6 months of the year are blanketed white by snow - our activities are kept largely indoors. There is a wood workshop, where items such as vegetable and seedling boxes are built for use in the village, and a crafts workshop where dolls and felt crafts are made for sale abroad, and the processing of herbs into culinary herb-salts for sale locally. But in contrast to the summer’s busy outdoor worklife, the work week is structured to allow time for cultural activities: rehearsing and performing plays - often in conjunction with the big seasonal Christian festivals, learning and singing seasonal songs, and thrice weekly studies including Russian language, English, history, dance, painting and clay modelling. There is no television in our village, for a number of reasons. Perhaps most importantly is so that a more interactive social life and atmosphere can be fostered. Most evenings then are spent together in one way or another; gathering to write Christmas cards, celebrating someone’s birthday, telling stories, rehearsing a play... simply sitting around the ever present teapot. Some might call it a “simple” life. Or perhaps, simply rich. The broad spectrum of humanity represented in Svetlana is extraordinary, and everyone, co-workers and disabled alike, are enrichened by the diversity.
Svetlana’s way of caring for the disabled is a major new concept for Russia. Past the age of 18, disabled people in Russia have few options for care. Those who have family are allowed to stay at home in the family apartment, but they are often alone during the day when others go to work or school, and there is little or nothing for them to do. Those whose families are unable to care for them are sent to a state run institution, where facilities are crowded and care is minimal. Drugs are routinely administered to keep things quiet. Needless to say, parents and neighbors alike are pleased that someone is finally trying to move forward with the care of Russia’s disadvantaged people. In addition, at the request of the local schools English speaking residents have begun teaching English in classrooms and in private sessions as there are no longer any foreign language teachers in the area. The Russian government is generally proud and supportive of Svetlana, but it is still not able to lend financial support beyond the present support stipend it pays to the villagers: 400 rubles a month, or about 15 usd per villager. Further income is generated through the selling of vegetables, cheeses, potatoes, and crafts. But despite earnest efforts from the entire community the village is simply not able to generate the funds necessary to run the place - nor develop it further.
If you are interested in applying to come live and work in Svetlana, we would like to hear from you. Co-workers are provided room and board and a modest monthly stipend to cover personal expenses, and time off to travel and visit nearby St. Petersburg and the surrounding areas. Please have a look at our general information and application details to find out more!
