#5
Date: Sat, 05 Jan 2002
Subject: Re: 6004-Hypothermia
From: Arch Getty <getty@ucla.edu>
Sarah Karush's interesting article on Russian homeless people freezing to death (JRL 6004) leaves out one important fact. Yes, alcoholism and official indifference are major factors in the growth of street freezing deaths. But it's also one of many ancillary effects of privatization since 1990.
In Soviet times, entryways to apartment buildings were typically left unlocked and it was more the rule than exception in winter to find a drunk sleeping in the warm space under the stairway. Since 1990, many of these buildings, or the apartments in them, have been privatized and the new owners have installed deadbolts or code locks on the exterior doors. In other words, warmed urban public space accessible to street people in Moscow and other cities has been drastically reduced.
It would be nice to know more about the political economy of urban spaces. Who lives where, goes where, and shops where as a function of changing ownership and rental patterns since 1990 is an interesting topic for study.
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