Odessa boiler room as an example of why privatizing infrastructure is a bad idea

If you read the news, you saw the messages about problems with heating in Odessa and freezing Odessa residents. Maybe they read it message "Naftogaz" about problems with private Odessa boiler houses. Since I personally found myself at the epicenter of the Odessa heating scandal, I will tell you more about this story. First, it can happen to any Ukrainian and not necessarily in the field of public utilities. Secondly, they are reflected in the history of one private boiler house, as in a drop of water global risks of Ukraine in issues of privatization of infrastructure facilities.

Since Odessa had a very warm autumn, none of the residents of the neighborhood were worried about cold batteries until mid-November. Then the management of the houses informed the residents that there would be no heat due to the debts accumulated by our private boiler house to Naftogaz. The tenants were shocked, since the two houses in front of the boiler house had no debts at all, and the others owed not too much. And the boiler house never made any attempts to collect debts.

The management of the houses could not legally solve this situation, so the residents had to spread the scandal in the media and promise to block the nearest highway as a sign of protest. The solution to our problem immediately moved from the dead center - the proverb about the squeaky wheel works flawlessly in Ukraine.

The gathering of residents in the courtyard of Khvoyny, 12. Photo from the report of "Timer".

The essence of the problem

In the spring of 2019, the private boiler house of Alexander Rudnytskyi, serving several houses in the Odessa microdistrict, 1 St. Lustdorfskaya road, closed. Note that the previous heating season 2018-2019 also passed major scandals. Kotelnaya issued invoices at rates higher than those permitted by law, forged signatures of tenants and members of the board of houses. In general, the parting was stormy, and the city authorities knew from the beginning of 2019 that this was a problematic object. It was decided to transfer the boiler house to the balance sheet of KP "Heat Supply of the City of Odessa". However, later Debts and shenanigans surfaced with the form of ownership of the boiler house.

At the time of writing this text, the final amount of debts is unknown, but fluctuates around 4 million hryvnias to Naftogaz. For those five houses served by the boiler house, this is a fabulous amount, especially since two houses were calculated at zero. Where such sums came from, why Naftogaz allowed to accumulate such a debt - there is no information. With the form of ownership, Rudnytsky also messed around, he reissued the debts to some fictitious owners, the boiler house to others.

In general, after looking at this Odessa chess player, KP "Heat Supply of the City of Odessa" refused to accept the boiler house on the balance sheet. Horod spread his hands. "Naftogaz" also did not understand what was happening. Formally, "according to the law", everyone was right. That's all almost 2000 people were left without heat. Including those who for years gave their last, just to close the "payments".

What was done

After the parties to the conflict realized that people will not freeze without complaint, but will block the roads, summon journalists and create a scandal for the whole country, the parties managed to reach an effective compromise solution. Heat was given to the houses, after which the state began to deal with Rudnytskyi. He even began to pay off debts.

Dmytro Zheman speaks in front of residents. Photo from the "Timer" report

In many ways, this success was ensured by the work of two people. This is the new head of the city economy department, Dmitry Zheman, and a deputy of the Odessa City Council Oleg Zvyagin. Zheman, appointed on the last day of October, literally jumped into the battle for heat "from the wheels" and figured everything out quickly. From the very beginning of this history, Oleg Zvyagin helped the boards of our houses, attended all meetings of residents and, in general, showed himself to be a real politician interested in his electorate. A very rare positive phenomenon in modern Ukraine, still clinging to postmodernism.

What happens now

Boiler room gas was given, there is heat. However, the debts to Naftogaz remained, and, in fact, the boiler house remains owned by the same Rudnytskyi. Payment is made according to the tariffs approved by the city. This will be the end of the 2019-2020 heating season. Then the boiler house will be closed.

The smoke from the chimney became a symbol of victory for all who fought for warmth

The police opened a criminal case. There is an investigation into where the debts came from and how they appeared. Tenants are waiting for a debt settlement after paying unreasonable tariffs. Due to one impudent swindler, dozens of people spend their working and personal time to understand the complicated history and establish justice.

What will happen next

As soon as this heating season ends, the boiler house will be closed forever. If not before — all the equipment is in a terrible condition, it has not been modernized. It's good if this movement just completes the season. What will happen in the next season is still unknown. The residents hope that the city will take the microdistrict into balance, offering a new solution for heating.

A reminder for survival in Ukraine

Summarizing and reflecting on the experience gained, the team of frozen Odessa residents has developed a number of useful recommendations for all occasions.

• Know who is responsible for what in your city. Keep the phone numbers of departments in notebooks. In any incomprehensible situation, call, demand, write complaints, threaten to block the roads - nothing will be solved "by itself";
• Know who your deputy of the city council/village council is, this is your closest ally;
• Make friends with journalists, read newspapers;
• Know your majoritarian in the Verkhovna Rada. He is obliged to represent your interests;
• Join the chat of residents of your house. If there is no chat, create it and make sure that EVERYONE joins it. Chatov have a colossal mobilization potential. If possible, join the chats of neighboring houses, make friends with someone from there to be aware of the affairs of the area;
• Know your neighbors face to face. Especially those who have an active lifestyle. You are in the same boat with them, and only they are ready to row.

Full privatist

One swindler, far from a genius, created problems for the whole city. A lot of man-hours were spent by both the authorities and the residents themselves to eliminate the heating problem in a small neighborhood. These are direct financial losses. During these dozens of hours, it was possible to solve other problems, earn money, and finally just relax.

By the way, this is not the only private boiler house that disrupted the heating season in Odessa (1, 2).

And now imagine what will happen when militant liberalism gets to really large objects? Idea fix of the current president and prime minister — division, reformation, and partial privatization of Ukrzaliznytsia. What the "invisible hand of the market" will lead to our long-suffering trains can be seen on the example of the Odessa boiler house. Zero modernization, money has gone to unknown places, debts... and the state will pay for all of this. That is, we are with you.

Any strategic enterprise in private hands is a potential tool of blackmail. Recall the situation with the production of liquid chlorine in 2018. Kolomoisky wanted will twist the country's hands, and unscrewed it. That's why you need to be very careful with infrastructure facilities. The state, of course, is the owner, but at least not a saboteur.

I would like to believe that before that the strategically important assets of the state will be in their hands various mines, our state mechanism will learn to effectively solve at least the problems at the level of individual boiler houses. Otherwise, the state rails will simply be overgrown with grass.

Denis Skorbylin