Putin inspects construction in fire-ravaged villages

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin arrived on Wednesday in the village of Verknyaya Vereya, in the Nizhny Novgorod Region, to personally inspect the construction of houses for the wildfire victims. The head of the government was accompanied by Nizhny Novgorod Governor Valery Shantsev (left). In late July , fires destroyed around 350 houses in the village.

Vladimir Putin spoke to local residents and once again noted that their new houses are being built in line with the advanced standards, and will stay warm even in the strongest frosts.

The reconstruction project of Verknyaya Vereya was presented to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in the newly rebuilt central street of village.

The houses are being built under three standard projects: 45 square meters (two rooms), 65 square meters (three rooms) and 90 square meters (four rooms). The houses are built with the usage of foreign technologies of framed construction. Under the demand of local residents, the builders have specially increased the sole plate under the houses for domestic needs. In fact, the residents of each house received in addition a two-meter-high basement with the area of 30 square meters.

Some houses have already been furnished. The regional authorities are already now offering options to the fire victims to buy them.

The prime minister is visiting Verknyaya Vereya for the second time. He came to the village the next day after the fire that destroyed almost the whole settlement. Vladimir Putin assured the fire victims that their village will recover.

Before the fire Verknyaya Vereya consisted of around 350 houses, and 400 houses are now under construction: the citizens of nearby villages who also have suffered from the disaster will move to this settlement. The whole village is being restored from the ground up.

After visiting Verknyaya Vereya the premier went to the Vladimir Region which also suffered this summer from wild fires. In the village of Ivatino 68 houses are being constructed. At the meeting with Governor Nikolai Vinogradov (right) Vladimir Putin said he had received complaints from the fire victims even before the construction began. Then people worried that their new houses will be smaller than those they have lost.

The prime minister met with the fire victims from the villages where just several residential buildings survived the fire.

Now a total of 68 houses are being built in the village for the fire victims. All the houses will be furnished and each of them will have a refrigerator and a washing machine installed free of charge.