Homeless children in Russia

Abuse, violence and poverty
“I ran away from home because my parents would get drunk on moonshine and beat me up. I wish they wouldn't! I wouldn't mind if they drank during the holidays, but not all the time...” These are the words of 12-year old Roma*), and they point to one of the main reasons that children are left to themselves in the streets in Russia. Parental alcohol and drug abuse, intertwined with violent behavior, often leave children and young people with no other choice.

The consumption of alcohol, traditionally high in Russia, increased significantly during the 1990s. During this period there was a parallel rise in drug abuse. These trends are closely linked to the poverty which has grown since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. The transition from a socialist to a market economy caused the average income to fall from about 11,500 USD in 1991 to about 6,500 USD in 1998**). Since then average incomes have risen, but in 2005 they had still not recovered to 1991 levels. And during this period the difference between rich and poor has grown considerably. Depending on the definition used, between 20 and 30 % of the population are presently considered poor, and families with children make up the largest group among these poor.

There are no official statistics documenting the growth of child homelessness, nor is the present extent of the problem accurately known. Several sources, however, estimate the number of homeless Russian children at more than one million, most of whom scrape out existence in large cities.

Life in the streets
Street children drop out of school and forsake other normal activities. Their friends are others in similar circumstances. They experience new freedom and, on the other side of the coin, a struggle to survive. The constant search for shelter and food leads to begging and petty theft and often also to prostitution. This lifestyle makes them vulnerable to diseases among which AIDS is the most dangerous. Subject to these strains, many of the children seek relief in alcohol, substance and drug abuse. And this behavior further isolates them from normal life. Deserted by their parents and lacking any normal contact with grownups, these children and young people have no positive role models. They trust and are responsible to nobody, and nobody cares for them.

Though the struggle to survive is burdensome, the underlying tragedy is the absence of parents’ love, acceptance and security. As 12-year old Andriey puts it: “It may look like I'm laughing, but inside I'm not because I miss my mother so much ... When I go to sleep I say “Good night Mom” ... even though she's not here.” *)

*) from the prize-winning documentary film “Children of Leningradsky”  (2004) by Hanna Polak and     Andrzej Celinski. The film describes the harrowing conditions of homeless children around the     Leningradsky Railway Station in Moscow.

**) see statistics