DESPERATE WOMAN IN CRIMEA JUMPS OUT OF WINDOW

A 43 year old woman committed suicide last Thursday by jumping out of the window at the city hall in Alushta, a resort town in the Crimea. Single mother of a 14-year old son Natalia Kobeleva died instantly. She got desperate after a conversation with Mayor Vladimir Shcherbina whom she came to meet over the destruction of a small cabin on her plot near the city. The authorities ordered the eviction of Ms Kobeleva and other owners of vegetable garden plots they had received 20 years ago. Natalia lived off growing vegetables. The plot was her only income. Rumours have it that the city hall authorities promised the plots area to a private firm for building luxury condos. Kickbacks from developers are not ruled out. Natalia’s neighbour Nadezhda Volochkova threatened to follow suit if the city hall would confiscate her vegetable garden. Corruption in the Ukraine under the new regime is getting worse than ever. Living standards have dropped significantly and continue to go down. Political instability has created tensions and nervousness that can partly explain such incidents as the tragic death of Natalia Kobeleva. Her 14-year-old son lives now at her sister’s. His future is uncertain.