Meet 59-year-old Anton Krupko. He lives on the outskirts of the village in Belarus with his father, Vyacheslav Mikhailovich, who is over 80. They are the last residents of the Belarusian village Zalesie, which has almost died. In this photo essay, Anton told about the hard life of a hermit.
- Villages, similar to ours, in the district - the darkness, and most of them are or have disappeared from the map, or will soon sink into oblivion - he says. - There's a village - one person lives [waving his hand toward the country road] on the farm - two people there - also an old man just stayed.
Even 20 years ago in Zalesie stood half a dozen houses, each inhabited by people. Today, three houses - in one, I dwell in the second - the father, and the third is empty. The rest of the cottage or disassembled, or they collapsed unattended. We - local, five generations, and even more, our ancestors to this native land, let me see this story will end.
All farm Krupko - a horse, a cow and five older hens. Mobile shop does not come here, we have to go to the nearest store, which is 3-4 kilometers. In summer, it's easy, but as the winter comes, everyone falls asleep, and the village, count, completely cut off from civilization. You go, falling to his waist. Father and son each snowfall asked a local farm to send the machine - clean the road, and there are responsible - no diesel. And that means - to the store, and two hours to get possible. Often not withstand the pressure element and the power line, and then have to sit without light. "But to be honest, to quickly restore electricity - more than a day usually do not sit in the dark," - says Anton V..
- All of the village "pautekali", because there is no work, meager wages on the farm for days plowing is necessary, and in fact also contain his farm - says the hermit, showing us his farmstead. The chest is stored carrots, in the cellar - potatoes in a plastic barrel - sauerkraut. - Now I have, for example, a hectare of land there, try to plow and sow! For thirty years he worked as a tractor driver, dad - forty years spent behind the wheel of the tractor. Now he is very old, had to give up work to look after him. Stretch it, it is seen briefly as a die, I'll stay here alone, there is no place to disappear.
Anton V. Zalesie wanted to leave for a long time - he and his parents offered to move to Druyu. But those firm said: "All my life I have lived here, immediately get out of the ground." Mother is like four years ago, and left. Anton then told them: "You will die, but to me that would be?" But stay, now turning back, it is clear there.
Father Anton Vyacheslavovich - Vyacheslav - has long been almost no walks. In the room where he sleeps, a strong smell of ammonia. The old man constantly remembers Soviet times, when he was chairman of the working committee and earned 170 rubles, for which you could buy three bicycles - it was a lot of money. Now on his retirement a "rovar" hardly buy. The old man said: "Who knew that everything would turn out?»
The idea of the geography of Anton Vyacheslavovich simple. Throughout his life he was in the two "large" areas - Druya and Braslav. Minsk - unattainable seem, abroad, and what to do there hillbillies? The farmer simply does not see the point of such long-distance travel, home work to do.
- We live in the retirement of his father - he says, - 2, 5 million. And, of course, to the economy. Just not very much money those missing. In winter we buy firewood 2 trailer it is necessary that not okolet. And they are just the monthly pension. So the stores are rarely visit. Last time I bought clothes normal even during the Soviet Union, now wears the old stock. That is unless the rubber boots in the year before to afford to buy, and those already torn.
In the river - fish, in the forest - mushrooms and berries, which can beast words. A couple of years ago, a 40-pound catfish caught. In winter the village regularly wild boar, moose, wild goats come. In the summer, I will not complain, food enough, but in winter - longing. We have to live inventory, except that in this year, almost all of them I already ate. There are vegetables. Cow milk is somehow giving. This, I hope, and spend.
We've got two fun winter evenings - to watch TV and drink. So yesterday I "zapivshi" was, therefore, in the house a mess. You know, if the "fair-haired" get inside, pulling it until the money runs out - do not stop. But many do not drink, do not have time for that - once every two or three months.
The biggest headache in Zalesie - water. The village stands on a high hill, dig a well and almost unreal. So they did in the valley, the forest, five hundred meters from the house Krupko. Vyacheslav put a big tub at the cottage and it collects rainwater. And when it ends, we have to pull out of the well. In the morning two buckets horse, two - a cow and a bucket for people. In the evening - the same thing. Try shabby!
What dreams Vyacheslav Krupko? He is now happy with everything. He says - he hope for a miracle, would wish that the issue of water and decided on the winter roads clean. All. Most of his imagination can not turn around. True, he would like to see relatives. During the Soviet era in Druya crossing it was in Latvia. In Vyacheslav sister lives there, just from her any news not received since the boundary there, I do not know - is alive or not.
So father and son survive the last page of the next Belarusian Zalesie, taking for granted the inevitable. Says Anton V., in the vicinity of the winter and the person can not see. His most faithful friends now - a horse, a cat but a dog.
Anton Vyacheslavovich vivid blue eyes. Unlike many "natives" living hermits necessarily in remote places, it does not look drunken, but rather tired and resigned from his hard life man. Nothing can be done - the village Zalesie soon will not be.
Source: realt.onliner.by