Prizyv has been publishing numerous materials about Nadezhda (Hope) Commune and its enthusiastic teacher E.A.Kliot. Nadezhda has two locations: one in St. Petersburg , and another in Karelia, Lakhdenpokh district, village Tervu. Last time we have covered the story in the Fall (Prizyv #43, 10/23/2003), in connection with projects of Kirill Bogouslavski. Just to remind the reader, Kirill is a successful American of Russian origin. He wanted to spend two years of his life serving the Ascent charitable foundation which he created. Kirill chose to concentrate on small projects that could be carried out without extraordinary time and funds. Nadezhda has been one of recipients of his and his few followers' efforts. Last Fall, for example, Ascent has helped to install a shower in the St. Petersburg Nadezhda facility. This Spring, three more projects are under way: electrification of the Tervu facility, construction of a cattle corral, and a cow barn.

- This summer turned out to be stressful but fruitful. - says Evgeni Alexandrovich Kliot.- Thanks to assistance from the Foundation created by Kirill Bogouslavski, we are solving the problem of power supply for our facilities by linking to the local "Karelenergo" power grid. The project has been developed and carried out with participation of a local company Toymi, whose S.P.Denisov led the effort. The value of the power grid for us is difficult to overestimate. First, we were able to equip workshops. We had the equipment, but it was not used for five years. Now the power source will allow us to teach our students how to use wood cutting machinery, and also produce construction materials on site.

One must mention that Evgeni has created the commune for former orphanage students. He used to be a residential counselor in one of Petersburg 's orphanages, and knows well what problems these kids may have. Once they leave orphanages (where adults take care of everything), these youth often falter when faced with difficulties alone.

- The only thing that can help these children is work, - says Evgeni; - And not just any work, but one with their own hands for their own benefit.

Under Evgeni's leadership, the orphanage boys go through a for of survival training. They learn to take care of themselves: to cultivate land, grow potatoes and vegetables, to try husbandry. These tasks turn out to be quite feasible even for most helpless city kids. They learn rural vocation; several boys learned to operate agricultural machinery in Lakhdenpokh vocational school. When the workshops will be furbished, they will make construction materials.

- My hope that in the future the most serious of the communards will want to build their own houses, - thinks Eugeni, - and they will be able to do it soon.

The youth receive some of the needed skills through the projects financed by the Ascent Foundation. Nadezhda tries to spent all the funds it receives internally by doing most of the work without contractors. For example, they mark the corral site, pour foundation for the future cow barn. However, they also receive generous help. Chief engineer of Petersburg company "Spetsstroyservis" A.P.Sinyakin personally drafted the project pro bono. The regional military command lent a truck free of charge for a month so that the earth works can be completed. The communards are thankful to the director of a road repair company M.K.Kazymov, and to many others who took an active interest in their lives. The cow barn, by the way, will be built with Norwegian technology; it will be made out of 30-centimeter long logs positioned in concrete.

- The technology is very inexpensive, - says Evgeni. - All our projects are quite inexpensive. We are trying to budget on the cheap, and use charitable help.

While the three projects are being completed, a new one is planned. In September, they expect Kirill from America. The original plan was to complete the barn this summer, but rainy weather got in the way. Now kids hope that the barn will be under roof before fall and winter weather. As for the new project, it has to do with improving the equipment base of the commune, and with refurbishing the workshops mentioned above.