• Home • About Fund  • Partners • Contact Info • Fund's Programs

Community Development Support Program in Russia

News, March 2008.

Successful Completion of the Project Complex “Svirsk – A Sustainable and Comfortable Living Environment for the Community” (Community Development Support Program in the Russian Federation)

“Svirsk – A Sustainable and Comfortable Living Environment for the Community” included three projects that were carried out in the city of Svirsk (population – 14,700), Irkutsk Oblast, located 150 km from Irkutsk on the left bank of the Angara River.

The first project, Rational Use of Heat Energy, fulfilled by MUP Teplotsentral, involved a modernization of a municipal boiler plant in Mikroraion Settlement in Svirsk during which two new economical water heating boilers working on wood waste instead of coal were installed.  As a result of this project, from October 2007 through January 2008, total energy savings amounted to 215,000 rubles, most of which (189,000) were reinvested in modernizing the heat supply system in the local hospital, while the remaining 26,000 rubles were invested in the budget of the contest of small social projects entitled “Together We Will Achieve More!”.
This project made it possible for the community to participate in the regional program “Development of Communal Heat Power Engineering” and to receive 7.7 million rubles of additional funding from the regional budget. This money, together with the project’s energy savings were used for laying 584 m of a heating main from the boiler plant in Mikroraion Settlement to the hospital and eliminating an inefficient boiler plant.

The second project of this complex, Comfort at the Outpatient Clinic, was devoted to replacing windows and doors in the building of the local outpatient clinic, which is attended by all residents of Svirsk and nearlying villages.  As a result of  these energy-efficiency activities  that included the replacement of  41 windows and 4 doors in the children’s and emergency departments, the cost of maintaining the building decreased by 62,000 rubles – this money is being reinvested in stopping heat loss in the other departments of the clinic; comfortable conditions were created - the level of illumination in the consulting rooms increased by 30% and the temperature in winter increased by 5 0С; and the frequency of acute respiratory illnesses dropped both among the patients (especially, among children) and the staff of the clinic.
Under this project, the doctors of the clinic monitored the health and conducted examinations of patients from risk groups twice a quarter; and organized seven training seminars for young people devoted to health protection and four conferences on child care for mothers and women of fertile age.

The third project, Svirsk – for You and for Everyone, formed a philanthropic fund of the city of Svirsk and ensured its involvement in the life of the local community. This organization was registered on March 12, 2007 – prior to the beginning of project complex activities. The fund acted as the financial administrator of the project complex “Svirsk – a Sustainable and Comfortable Living Environment for the Community”. Jointly with the Siberian Land Revival Foundation, a contest entitled “Social Star” was held and a large number of training seminars and presentations were organized, as well as a workshop for representatives of foundations from Irkutsk Oblast and other regions, such as Angarsk, Shelekhov, Taishet, Bratsk and Khabarovsk.
Project activities also included a contest of small social projects “Together We Shall Achieve More!”
On February 20, 2008, jointly with the Siberian Land Revival Foundation, a workshop was carried out for grantees (20 persons) on such questions as how to prepare community members for participation in contests of social projects, promote citizen participation in community decision-making and facilitate multi-sector interaction. The Foundation placed special emphasis on dissemiation of project information (publications in the mass media and press conferences).

As a result of the close cooperation of the three projects, a synergetic effect was reached: resources were pooled, experience was shared, multi-sector interaction was achieved; and citizen participation was promoted.

The new economical water heating boiler in the municipal boiler plant in Mikroraion Settlement in Svrisk	Replaced windows and doors in the hospital in Svirsk	Attendees of the seminar for foundations from Irkutsk Oblast, Angarsk, Shelekhov, Taishet, Bratsk and Khabarovsk