Karelia Residents Fight Over Firewood as Prices Explode Before Winter

Fuel Shortage and Price Spikes Hit Karelia Village

Residents of the Lendery settlement in the Republic of Karelia are facing a winter heating crisis driven by a sudden lack of affordable firewood and steep price increases. Emilia Slabunova, a deputy of the Legislative Assembly of Karelia, has filed official appeals with the regional Prosecutor's Office, the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Republic of Karelia, and the Muezersky District administration to address the situation.

Local inhabitants report that the price for one cubic meter of firewood now exceeds 4,000 rubles ($48). Since an average family requires approximately 15 cubic meters for a single heating season, total costs can surpass 60,000 rubles ($712)—an amount described as unaffordable for the village's large population of retirees.

Historically, residents relied on "dolgotye" (long logs/stem sections), which they could purchase cheaply and then cut and split themselves. However, since last year, JSC Segezha Group—the holding company leasing the forest plots in the district—has stopped selling these logs for personal use.

Slabunova's inquiries specifically demand an expert review of the current tariffs for firewood sales and splitting services in the district. The deputy is pushing for the resumption of affordable log sales in volumes sufficient to cover the heating season.

To mitigate the immediate impact, the following measures have been proposed:

• Establishing municipal subsidies to offset costs.
• Attracting alternative suppliers to drive down the retail price from the current 4,300 rubles per cubic meter.
• Implementing targeted assistance for elderly residents living alone who are at risk of spending winter without heat.

This incident follows a similar pattern previously observed in the Kyappeselga settlement, where residents were unable to secure firewood due to the implementation of new computer software for tracking forest resources.

Source: This article was adapted from an original Russian-language publication by Pravda.Ru<///a>.