In Orsk, due to a dam break on the Ural River, a significant part of the city got under water. The area of the old city, where an Old Believer church in the name of Holy Hierarch Arseniy of Uralsk is situated, was especially damaged. One dam broke on April 5 due to rising water in the rivers. The next evening, the second dam broke and a state of emergency was declared in the region. Residents of the city – among them parishioners of the Old Believer church – had to urgently leave their homes.
— Many people talk with tears about how they had to quickly leave their homes and evacuate. There is no drinking water. You can’t drink from the tap because the water is already poisoned by various substances due to the flood. Many people have problems with the most essential necessary things for everyday life. People are in severe shock and do not understand how to live further, for it is the first flood in the Orenburg region in a very long time, says Khristina Goshkoderya, daughter of Priest Vladimir Goshkoderya, who cares for Orsk Christians.
Dean Vladimir Goshkoderya is coordinating the collection of funds to help the victims:
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Deacon Georgiy Danilov stayed In the church of Holy Hierarch Arseniy of Uralsk until the last moment. When the church was already heavily flooded, the deacon lifted the holy objects to the upper floors and only then left the church. The Ural diocese asks for prayer and financial assistance, which can be sent to Fr. Vladimir. The water level in the city is still rising due to the strong melting of snow. It is obvious that the church and the parishioners will require significant effort and time to restore and rehabilitate.
