Tension persists in Illymah due to the presence of a threatening and hazardous entity.
Why's the Old Guy Wearing a Helmet Everywhere?
He's taking no chances. Every night ends in a drunken brawl and a fresh wound to the head, so he dons a helmet all day, every day. It's his armored vest against life inside the elderly home.
Is Yllymakh, the Village from the Photos, a Peaceful Retreat?
Hardly. Located over a hundred kilometers from Aldan, Yllymakh is infamous for its troubled home for the elderly and disabled. Run by the Ministry of Labor and Social Development of Yakutia, it's a chaotic 105-bed medical-social institution.
The residents? A motley crew of senior citizens, disabled individuals, and rehabilitated criminals. Sounds peaceful, right? Except it isn't.
A Far Cry from Tranquil Paradise
You'd think this group deserves to rest amidst peace and care, but you'd be wrong. Yllymakh is anything but serene. Daily fights, rampant drinking, and the occasional knife attack make up a typical day for the staff and residents.
Last fall alone saw several violent incidents, one of which ended fatally. Spring brought a stabbing that left an elderly orderly dead from "chronic illnesses," earning the attacker a mere three-year, suspended sentence.
Verbal Abuse Galore
Staff is subjected to constant verbal abuse and profanity. Sexual harassment isn't uncommon, either. More often than not, a core of "authoritative" residents run wild, making the lives of the staff a living nightmare.
Pocket Change for Alcohol
Three-quarters of the residents' pensions are siphoned off for their keep, leaving them with a meager amount to spend. And they know exactly where to spend it - in the village, where alcohol flows as freely as water.
The Law Doesn't Stand a Chance
Police presence is nonexistent, since the closest station is 60 kilometers away in Tommot. When violators are apprehended, they're usually dealt with mere warnings instead of being taken to the station for processing. Recently, the institution hired a private security company, but peace still seems a distant dream.
Where's the Accountability?
The main concern among the locals is the residents' unsupervised freedom of movement, especially during the summer months. While they've learned to live with the chaos, they wonder why the administration can't remove problematic and dangerous residents. The rules state repeating offenders should be evicted, but clear-cut rules don't seem to apply in this case.
The Director Speaks
When questioned about the residents' aggressive behavior, Alexander Malov, the director of the home, admitted the institution houses problematic individuals. Most are ex-cons, alcoholics, and freeloaders from all over the region. Moreover, the rules regarding alcohol are rarely adhered to.
Though residents are meant to live under a "dry law," they easily find ways to buy alcohol. The location's unfortunate lack of alcohol-selling stores doesn't hinder the residents, who simply bypass the rules in search of their fix. Despite two cases of illegal alcohol sales being opened, minimal fines are imposed, which fuels the locals' apathy.
At this point, security measures include around-the-clock private guards and weekly police visits. But for the residents of Yllymakh, peace remains a distant mirage.
- In light of the chaotic living conditions at Yllymakh, it seems the old man wears his helmet not only as a safety measure for nightly brawls, but also as a symbol of the daily struggles within the realm of health-and-wellness, mental-health, and general-news.
- The events in Yllymakh indicate that the home for the elderly and disabled is not simply a crime-and-justice issue, but a complex web of politics, social welfare, and public safety entangled within one troubled institution.
- As the local law enforcement appears to have little impact on the situation, one might question whether the science of policing and criminal justice can offer solutions for the chaotic living conditions at Yllymakh, or if a more holistic approach from multiple fields is needed to bring peace to this village.
