Athos, Porthos and Atheist: three stories of the New York homeless from the former USSR

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Once, coming out of the subway on Sheepshead bay and seeing a beggar with a glass at the door, I spontaneously decided to get rid of the pound of change that had accumulated in my pocket and poured it into the bottom with a roar. The beggar, clearly feeling the weight of the donation dishes, nodded at me with satisfaction: “Such a lot of money!” he said. - Do you want a coffee?

A person who has never lived on the street has a lot of illusions about the sum of the circumstances in which it can be there. We think that people standing near the subway with glasses and boxes are most likely deprived of education, relatives who can help, that they have a combination of general disorder and laziness, that they ended up on the street because of alcohol or drugs, that they got there coming out of prison, that they have bad English, finally. What they do not want to work.

So: all these are our fantasies, in which the real Brooklyn bums don't fit in any way.

Real Brooklyn bums will change our understanding of who lives on the street and how. Photo by Nata Potemkin

The first story. Sasha-Conductor

Age 52.

Education: Kiev State Conservatory, the departments of conducting and classical vocals, before leaving for the United States worked in Kiev, sang at the Children's Opera House; conductor of the Kiev Philharmonic.

Title: Illegal with 17-year experience.

Citizenship: Ukraine.

Family in the USA: no.

Children: have stayed in Ukraine.

Alcohol: moderately.

Drugs: no.

English: barely.

On the street: 3,5 year.

“I may not be photogenic today. But Mussorgsky Repin also painted before he died. ” Photo by Nata Potemkin

Sasha went on tour to America and knew that he would not return. In Uzhgorod, he lost his family (his relatives became victims of murder), an attempt to demand the truth in the prosecutor's office resulted in broken teeth and injuries.

He came here as the conductor of a symphony orchestra, for almost a year he traveled with the program on 42 states.

Then he extended the visa, pledging to fly within 4 months and deliberately did not take a ticket. Earned on tour $ 8,5 thousands sent home. He does not want to return home at the moment.

“Actually, I ended up on the street in the full sense of the word after a chain of failures, the first link of which was that my foreman cheated me out of more than $5 thousand. He was the husband of my classmate, and I was simply ashamed to complain to her, to tell her that he did not pay me for the work, and I remained silent. True, he taught me how to lay tiles and do many necessary types of construction work. But in the end, he quit. And I found myself in December in a T-shirt and shorts (all my clothes were left at the site), without money. I rented a room on 5th Brighton. Then he broke his leg on the boardwalk. I just tripped. Then the landlady kicked me out of the room. Why? Because he refused to cook her borscht at 3 am. She is not a very healthy person, she did not understand what she was doing. I turned to the church for help. They said: “You were gone for a long time, you were probably on a drinking binge.” But I wasn't. How can you prove it?

Since then, since 2014, this has been the case: I'm on the street, then Coney Island hospital ”.

At the very beginning of his stay in the country, Sasha rented a room in Seagate and worked in the kitchen of a restaurant in Brighton. Then he went to a construction site. He sincerely wanted to work in his specialty - in the theater or orchestra, but the lack of documents did not allow him to get a job somewhere other than “black” jobs. I contacted a lawyer, wanting to get status, but the lawyer took the money and did not achieve the desired results.

“For a while I worked on the“ stock exchange ”(underground underground for illegal immigrants - auth.), It brought a penny, $ 5-6 per hour, and there was a continuous crime: once I even saw a man shot there, black american

Actually, I physically cannot work more than full-time 2-3, I have diabetes, and I get terribly tired of physical work. However, medical assistance was provided to me in the hospital, even without status and documents, because ... Well, once I was just lucky, because of the kindness of my soul, we were given a little treatment, but there I was a victim of linen lice, the conditions were terrible, and I turned to brother Vadim he worked in the church and helped the homeless, found another hospital for me. ”

About Brother Vadim, the whole “party” of Brighton homeless responds very warmly. The homeless do not exclude that it is thanks to him that they are still alive.

Sasha started drinking alcohol when he was on the street. The life of the New York homeless is different from the life of homeless people, say, from Florida for purely climatic reasons.

"Alcohol? I'll tell you why we drink. Do you know what the weather is like in New York? Ice rains, wind, flooding under the bridge, tooth to tooth. Sometimes a person falls asleep and wakes up waist-deep in icy water. You need to drink simply to avoid freezing to death. Although, sometimes they died. An Italian, formerly a very successful lawyer, died before my eyes, but he drank himself to death. I fell asleep under the bridge and didn’t wake up.”

At the moment, Sasha, together with other heroes of this report, occupies the social apartment of a person who died in a hospital not so long ago. They know that this is not for long. As soon as the municipality realizes that the living space is free and can be taken away, they will again be on the street.

“Now - how it goes. If you have a job at a construction site, then you can work a few hours a day, although I, of course, am not becoming healthier over time. Realizing that in 17 years I could earn myself a pension if I weren’t an illegal immigrant is not pleasant enough, of course”...

One of Sasha’s main ways of earning money in the absence of construction is begging on the roadway.

It is theoretically possible to calculate how much this way is obtained per day: from 56 cents to $ 150, but you need to calculate your earnings weekly, since it’s almost impossible to go out every day. In general, how the card will fall.

“There are just awesome cases! One day a man gave me $ 5, and then he came back to pay another $ 5. ”

17-year experience for illegal immigrants is considered almost hopeless. However, Sasha has a visiting card of a lawyer, he keeps it in the hope of trying to do something.

“I'm not really complaining. I don't like to complain, I don't like to ask for help. The street, like a refuge, generally unites all those who do not complain or ask. That is why everyone there willingly helps each other without additional hints. You know, sometimes it’s even fun: one day a radio was playing in Russian from some car, and they were discussing the signs of spring on the air. And someone said: spring is when homeless people appear under the bridge.”

Being a church ward, as a volunteer, Sasha taught singing to children in a Sunday school. For food, clothing and household assistance. Many homeless people with professions work for the church for free, as compensation.

Sasha did not drink his vocal professionalism: he performs arias superbly even today. However, less and less. Not in the mood.

The second story. Viktor Litvinenko. “Vitya-Artist”

Age 38.

Education: Odessa Art College. Grekova, specialty "painting".

Title: resident, green card.

Citizenship: Ukraine.

Family in the USA: is.

Children: have stayed in Ukraine.

Alcohol: in the past; rehabs, detoxes, just 8-9 times.

Drugs: in the past.

English: advance.

On the street: 4 year.

Photo: Nata Potemkin

Arrived on the groom's visa, got married, got a green card. “Freeze”, lost the green card. On the question of why he did not immediately restore it, he answers briefly and clearly: “Because I am a moron.” The green card was most likely stolen from a backpack along with other ID and library cards.

He fell out with his mother-in-law, left home. He built a church in Maryland, wrote icons, carpentry. He returned to New York, got on a detox, then lived in the church with his brother Vadim (the same one), taught Sunday art school. He played the guitar on the street Russian rock and Vysotsky. He worked at a construction site.

“I'm a great putty. By the way, at Demi Moore putty at home, in Down Town Manhattan. The boss would not put anyone to put on Demi Moore, only the class worker. ”

The word “episodic” runs like a red thread through Vitina’s entire American biography. Occasionally, he either drank or worked. He would come to his senses and then relax again. When trying to describe step by step how he falls into the homeless category, he names first the hostel, then the church, then the street. Well, and rehabs, of course.

“There was a period I painted portraits on Union Square. I did well, but slowly. And I wanted to earn more. So I shot up cocaine and methamphetamine to work faster. And he quickly got hooked. And then I weaned myself off drugs with alcohol. All the money I earned from drawing quickly began to go to cocaine. I also had a friend David, also an artist. He told me that every summer there are exhibitions of amateur artists in Manhattan, and he decided to help me show my work there. But here in America I have only graphics, a pencil. And I would like to exhibit paintings. And in these 6 years of painting, I have only produced 3 works - and I have already sold them. Why so few? I don't know myself. It happened.

“I sold this sailboat to Teta Sveta, who worked in the dining room of the church where I lived.”

“You know, there are some really sick people here. He called 911 himself and took them to the hospital so they could survive. I remember two of them sat hugging, one died right on the street, the second was not taken to the “Stable” (That’s what they call Сoney island hospital - approx. ed.). Sometimes it happens - they beat our people, they even poison us, they sprinkle something on us. Yes, and personally I had to imitate a fall, a dislocation there, or a fracture, just so that they would take me to the hospital for a while, so that there would be a reason, so that it would look like emergency happening. On the contrary, there are lucky ones - but this has little effect on their fate.

Self-portrait.

One day a couple of us found a purse on the street with $30 thousand in it. They could live for a year on this money! You could invest it to make a profit! But a month later they no longer had a penny. And all this month they continued to live on the street. Such psychology. Either after detox you ask your friends to take you to another state and not show you Russians, then again... We even had one millionaire here. Family, by the way. Jeweler, made very good money. His wife and children brought food for boards (“boards” is slang meaning the very fact of living on the embankment - author) when he started drinking and found himself on the street. And then again - jewelry, money. That’s how I lived.”

The third story. Konstantin (Kevin) Musienko. “Kostik-Poet”

Age 39.

Education: in the USA and Belarus - Microsoft certified computer engineer (A +); Minsk Polytechnic College.

Title: a US citizen; citizen of Belarus.

Family in the USA: is.

Children: no.

Alcohol: Yes.

Drugs: in the very distant past.

English: fluent.

On the street: 9 months.

Photo by Nata Potemkin

“It all started with Sandy. Before Sandy, I worked normally in the office as a geek. I know my work perfectly, I love it, I understand it in programming. When I worked in the office, I wrote poems in my spare time, at the time Sandy had a lot of 400 poems. Rented an apartment in basementThat's why I lost everything. Do you have any idea what Sandy looks like? EVERYTHING sinks. Rivers of water. I literally lost everything, everything I had. All manuscripts. All items. It was... Wrong. My only thought, feeling when I saw all this was “it was wrong". And in the 3 month, my father passed away in the hospice. At first, I somehow moved, found money for a funeral, buried. He and my stepmother had an apartment, the stepmother took the apartment right away, I did not want to fight with her. My mother and brother live in New Jersey, actually, but we are not friends. Since 2008, I have not been in touch with them. And I did not turn to them for help even once. We are all united by the fact that we do not like to ask for help. ”

Immediately after the flood, Kostya lived with friends; it was not possible to rent an apartment. Rent for an apartment in New York is a month's rent plus a deposit, that is, double (or triple) the monthly rent. It is not always possible to find such money right away. After my father’s funeral, I fell into depression, apathy, and unwillingness to live. Was fired from the office. For some time he worked as a dispatcher in cargo transportation.

Then, in a street car accident, I broke my hip, stayed in the hospital, got out ... And since then somehow I have no business at all.

“You always get out of the hostel, it's the law. Neither money, nor English, nor citizenship, nor relatives here decide anything.

The logic is that renting an apartment requires a large sum, a one-time payment, while the dorm is paid daily. There is a chervonets - there is an overnight stay. And this is the first step to the street. Then - the last floors of buildings, sleeping under the roof, you don’t know where to end up. And on the street - pay attention! - they respect you! And if you are a normal person and are ready to help, then they will help you. And from this you immediately go into a rage: how beautiful, they help me, they appreciate me! Nobody will hurt you. They will pour it. They will tell you where to sleep. Getting vodka on the boardwalk is a mere trifle, you just need to walk along it. Actually, that’s how it all happens.”

Kostya did not live in the church because he was an atheist. Practicing a clear separation of people into “street” people (who will help, give a dollar, etc.) and “just” people (from whom you can expect everything). By his own admission, the street perfectly teaches to understand people not only to know who to ask for money from or to shoot cigarettes, but also to figure out the “rat”.

“In contrast to the fact that in society you need to somehow prove your worth, have money, be someone - on the boardwalk you are accepted and loved by default. That's why we're here."

By the way, he wants to work. According to the profession that he has. When he temporarily finds himself in a place where he can wash himself, he gradually sends out his resume, because at any moment they can be called for an interview, and going there smelly is ugly.

Who helps them

There are three sources of help for the homeless in New York.

1. State - Shelter

This is both convenient and not. It’s inconvenient because you can’t bring anything edible there, not even a bag of juice, and to live there you need to follow a strict schedule - arrive before 9 pm, check in, “walk in formation” - and the street people don’t like that.

At first, our heroes seem to say quite categorically that there is little help from the state, but then they still remember that welfer, food stamps and medicaid can give something. (“$ 120 every 2 of the week and $ 194 per month for a non-hot meal, and there is almost no place to cook, ”our hero comments. Kostya).

2. The church in general, the Baptist church and the synagogue in particular

Special points are supervised by the church, of which our heroes know no less than 4's only in the Brighton area. At these points you can eat, drink hot coffee, take dry clothes, get your hands on food or ready-made food. Each of these items works on 2 every day, but the charts are different for everyone, and they fit together so that people can eat and change clothes every day. For example, on Ocean pkwy You can eat and change clothes on Tuesdays and Fridays, and in the Georgian Orthodox Church at the corner Mcdonald & Stillwell on Mondays they give pea soup, and on Thursdays - kharcho.

3. Manhattan 34 strshopping center corner Macy's

Every Friday and Saturday at midnight, Baptist volunteers bring and distribute pizza and other food, personal hygiene products, underwear, socks, clothes, deodorants, household chemicals to everyone, taking everyone’s word for it and asking no questions. If you say that you need to take things or food for several friends, they give you as much as you ask.

What do they offer based on their own assessments of the situation

“We have a couple of proposals to solve the problem of functioning homeless people,” says Kostya. “The first step is to determine the level of both the person and his desire to return to normal life. Now they seem to be doing this, but! According to some incomprehensible tables, and then only in order to decide whether to allocate free housing to a person or not (about $120 for a 2-room apartment for a single mother with children - author's note). Once a friend of mine, who works as a psychologist on homeless issues, told me: “We can allocate an apartment (there are many of them under the “affordable housing” program) but multiply choice the test, if I remember correctly, is 10 or 12 pages long, is designed for the fact that the person has already been on the street for at least about 3 years, which, I think, is unacceptable.”

Then you need to take a person out of addiction, for example, Detox rehab etc. But the modern methods in New York are very meager, and most of them revert back to addiction. I heard a lot of stories like “Do you know where I immediately went after rehab? To liquor and cigarettes!” All this, by the way, was pronounced with excessive pride. Like “look how great I am! I defeated their brainwashing system! I didn't give up! Here in New York, they don't just try to make you want to “not drink,” they just brainwash you in the same way. I can suggest how this can be done, but this is almost a whole dissertation. And only after the person is released from dependence, provide him with housing.

It is also very important in the process of withdrawing from dependence wean from psychological habits: pick up bulls, drink on the street, express street slang (both in Russian and in English), and the like. To do this, a person needs to create such conditions that he himself would like to quit these habits, and I think that this is not easy, but possible. ”

In fact

New York City Police

He has the right to arrest the homeless, but in practice it rarely does. Shy away.

Deportation

The so-called “friendly deportation” is when comrades donate money to a homeless person for a ticket to his homeland if he himself wants to leave.

Законодательство

It is assumed that all legislation, which are outwardly “against” the homeless, were created not for the physical destruction of them, but so that the homeless go to shelters.

In California, it is forbidden to sleep in trailers and mini-vans, in the same place they block water in fountains so that homeless people do not wash in them, all the benches are removed from the parks of Sarasota (Florida), each state has its own oddities.

However, there are Servicedesigned to correct both legal and mental inconsistencies in relation to the homeless.

Exist organization with national state status, designed to solve the problems of the homeless, and also to take care of health care homeless.

In the state of New York, you can read the legislation, or you can travel around the city and see what is happening: begging in the subway, both in cars and at stations, is not stopped, overnight stays are not subject to police regulation (although, at the request of the owner of the territory, theoretically, they can). According to eyewitness observations, no one touches the homeless in New York - neither in a good nor in a bad way.

See also:

Why, after 25 years, the Russian woman returned from San Francisco to Saratov

How to become a millionaire: the story of a homeless man from San Francisco

California Governor asked to declare a state of emergency because of the homeless

In Los Angeles, a homeless person built a “heavenly home” on the side of the road and rents rooms. Video

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