Neighbors’ Day in Europe and in our building
Duration of the case: 9 years – 1 week – 3 hours
Prepared by: Yelena Shomina
Citizens Foundation /State University Higher School of Economics, Russia
June 2006
Abstract
A small group of residents of ordinary 9- stored building at the boarder of Moscow decided to
celebrate European Neighbours Day. It was done and it turned out to be very good instrument for
improvement of neighbours’ relationships, development of neighbours’ net of mutual support and
good step for future participation in decision making of the maintenance of our building.
Background
Our staircase association was founded in 1997. We live in high, 9 stores building near the border of
Moscow.. 32 flats in our staircase, housing maintenance company is located at the first floor. The
house has four entrances, all were dirty and gloomy. I felt ashamed and uncomfortable, but that was
our typical environment at that time, and I felt, that it was difficult to change the situation. It was
very difficult to make the first step, but I was strongly supported by my son (16 years old at that
time) and husband. We invited our neighbors to drink tea and discuss our mutual problems.
The problems that we discussed during our first meeting were not so great, but very important for
us. We discussed what to do with dirtiness in our staircase, broken lamps, bad doors, graphitty, etc.
What to do if our bills for water and heating are too high. Our purpose was very simple – we
wanted better, cleaner and safe environment. We organized local community group - staircase
association - (unregistered NGO) and began our joint small steps.
We discussed our problems and formulated our goals:
 to have better and more beautiful entrance, small hall near lift on the first floor, clean and safe
staircase
 to create spirit of mutual support of our residents
 to protect citizens and housing rights of our neighbours
 to organise better social support for elderly people
 to help owners of cars with parking problems
About the organization
So, we created staircase association – unregistered non-commercial NGO, with board (7 persons),
children’s staircase committed (all 12 children), local newspaper “Neighbours’ news”
Activities description
One of our first joint actions was washing and cleaning our staircase at all floors, then installation
of a new door and special lock. Next - beautification and planting of the flowers near our entrance.
Unfortunately in our very ordinary house we have no common space. So we have our meetings in
one of the flats- usually it was mine, later – the flat of our Chair – Nataly Mishaeva. We discussed
our problems with the caps of tea or coffee. We have our meetings once in two months, or when it
is needed.
In fact, there are 5-6 families (out of 32), which we can really rely, but many people support all our
activities, and participate in different way. It could be a peace of cloth for decoration, home made
cakes for our parties, small donations, half an hour of digging our small garden near entrance or
cleaning. It could be simply words of support and gratitude.
We think that our staircase newsletter “Neighbors news” is our real organizer. We publish it when
necessary, and during 9 years we had more then 100 issues.
Now, after 9 years of activity we have rather good relationships among our neighbors, good
atmosphere, clean walls and not bad relations with our local maintenance company.
We are trying to work with everybody in our staircase. The kids (2-15years), who live in our
staircase, help us very much. They made special wall newspaper for the holidays; they help us very
much in cleaning our stairs. Children put their drawings on the walls of our staircase near lift, and
these pictures make our environment friendly and nice. I consider that good relationships are our
best value. Now all children know everybody, they can knock every door and will be welcomed.
The same with all neighbors. We arranged both cleanings and planting of flowers, and different
holidays – New-year party and dances around great fire on the snow! Meetings with community
activists from different countries: “English tea party”, “Finnish coffee”, and “American evening”.
Community and housing activists from other parts of Moscow visit us and we visit other houses.
That is indeed very important and stimulate people greatly. We make video of all our activities and
now it is our many hours “video-history”.
Sometimes we have very serious problems. A few years ago as a result of great reconstruction and
demolishing of old housing stock (5-stored buildings near our house) a great and awful “garbage
storing place’ was located just in front of our windows. And it was a real struggle for it’s
replacement to another corner of our yard – more comfortable for our residents as well as the
residents of other buildings.
In spite of our friendly and comparative clean environment (in our staircase), there were no any
attempts to create staircase associations and improve living environment in other 3 staircases. We
did a few attempts, but only very old ladies came to our meetings for discussion of mutual –
important for all residents of the building – problems.
According to the new Housing Code the residents-owners of the flats MUST make their own
decision about pattern of management of their building, and choose maintenance company
(municipal or private) before 01/01/2007. Russian residents are not ready for this choice, and it is
much better and easier, if they create housing committee (with representatives of all staircaseassociations) – NGO at the building level. They have the right to represent their interests and
defend their rights, help to solve different local problems. . Members of housing committee can
arrange general meeting and help residents in all their activities. Our staircase association and our
newspaper already tried to give all necessary information for our residents, but other residents had
no any information about Housing Code and its demands, as well as about housing committee. We
tried to help other residents in organizing their staircase association and creation of our joint
housing committee, but had no any progress in relationships with the residents of other 3 staircases.
It was difficult to put our newspaper with important information on their walls, as somebody takes
it away (we do not need YOUR information).
Description of the case
At the middle of May at the web-site of International Union of tenants (www.iut.nu) I found
information about “European Neighbors’ Day” and decided to try to organize it not only for our
staircase association and my neighbors, , but for all residents of our building.
So, we published information about “Neighbors’ Day in Europe and in OUR BUILDING” and put
it on 4 doors (4 entrances of one large building):
“In all Europe, the individualism, the withdrawal into oneself and the loneliness increase.
Everywhere the social bond distends. European Neighbors’ Day, the European party of neighbors,
is an Event, which occurs every year on the last Tuesday of May. This year - May 29 2006!
Each resident of our building is invited to make a simple gesture at the same time with other
residents throughout Europe to share a nice time around a buffet and favors social cohesion and
creates new solidarities. Every one bringing something tasty to eat (cheese or nuts, cakes or fruits)
and drink (tea and beer, light wine or Fanta) …and we meet near our entrance N 2 at 20.00
Please, call 451-52-25 with all your questions and suggestions to Yelena”
I visited special shop “Everything for Party” and bought many colorful balloons for decorations of
our entrances (it was very cheep!). I also sent invitation for “European Neighbors’ day” to our local
authorities and our maintenance company. (They did not come…)
The whole week different people spoke with me about future event at the street, and I realized, that
indeed many people are really interested. The neighbors also called me and suggested help. One
young mother suggested to bring good rather large picnic table and said she will inflate the
balloons. Another old lady suggested cooking cakes.
It was extremely raining and windy day. I was afraid, that nobody comes.
But at 19.15 rain and wind stopped! When we came to our meeting point, I met 2 young ladies.
They were representatives of our local (official) newspaper. Picnic table was installed near our
entrance just between 2 benches, and immediately different tasty things appeared on the table.
Children also inflated the balloons, and many red, blue, yellow balloons decorated our trees – it was
very beautiful picture. As I had many badges from different conferences, we used them, wrote the
names of our neighbors, and people were very happy – young couples asked badges for their very
small children. Many young people come – they were friendly, drank beer and discussed their
future in this building. Old people discussed old events, and how they can be of help to young
residents in our difficult time. I used chance to explain new Housing Code and new roles and tasks
of residents. Our video-men recorded the event. And girls from local newspaper did a lot of pictures
(promised to send them to us).
Results
About 50 people participated in our event. Now we all (at least these 50) know each other, have
telephones and can easily communicate. We discussed many important problems, and found
“contact” people. The event was from 20.00 to 23.00 and was very friendly. Many people told me
how nice it is and how many different events we can arrange in future (for example – joint bus trip
for children or picnic for old people). We found very “important” people for our future housing
committee – young lady – is accountant and ready do take under control the economy of our
building. Another men – is an engineer, young men is a head of the youth NGO. Next few days all
people discussed the event and found it very useful. Now we have good plan how to create our
Housing Committee, who could be its potential members, what kind of joint problems of the
building we see now, how we can communicate in future.
I published new newsletter “Neighbors news” and described all our small achievements – we
found many new active people, people began to know each other, we got “contact people” and this
time I called this “contact people” and they put our newspaper on their walls. It was safe the whole
week!
I can say – we created our own “neighbors net” which will be of great help for all residents and for
future of our building.
Lessons learned
The participation in the activity of our residents’ association gives to my neighbors - ordinary
people the simplest lessons of democracy. They are of the great value for our children, as from the
start of their life they begin to understand the value of the good environment, friendly
atmosphere, mutual support. They also got the lessons of solidarity and responsibility. At the
same time, work at the local level give the first lessons of market economy, particularly the
property and real-estate values.
The topic of the defense of housing (that means also citizens) rights is also of great importance, as
in our country we had no experience of being tenants or owners. These roles are also new for us and
participation in community work on the level of house gives the understanding of new specific
roles, duties and responsibilities. And we enjoy life in our building (in spite of fact, that it is 40
years old, and not the best one from constructional or architectural point of view).
Contacts information
Yelena Shomina
Prof. of Public Policy department,
State University Higher School of Economics
125475, Moscow, Petrozavodskaya Street 28-5, my flat is 410
E-mail: yeshm@online.ru