InfoHub Logo

A resident of North Kazakhstan Oblast is facing an extraordinary challenge to reach his home، forced to crawl over a newly constructed embankment after floodwaters and the barrier left his property isolated. The situation has drawn significant public attention.

A Home Cut Off

Sergey Lyovin، who purchased his two-story، 160-square-meter house in 2021، was once an active beekeeper and poultry farmer. However، the devastating floods of 2024 dramatically altered his circumstances. His home، situated at the edge of the village and closest to the river، was inundated، with water reaching the middle of its second floor.

"My house is the furthest one from the village، closest to the river. Water comes from two sides. Before a dam was built on one side، water had already entered from the other. So، the whole village was protected، but my house was left unprotected. Only my house suffered damage from last year's flood،" Lyovin explained.

The Dam Dilemma

The embankment built to protect the village is now so high that Lyovin must crawl to access his property. He described the immense difficulty this presents، especially given his age and health condition.

"After the winter storms، there was knee-deep snow، and I couldn't get to my house at all. I'm almost sixty years old. I have asthma، and climbing such a high embankment is extremely difficult for me. I could run out of breath just trying to reach my house. An ambulance wouldn't be able to get here either،" he stated. Lyovin has repeatedly appealed to the local administration، questioning why his house wasn't included in the dam's protection and why access was blocked، but he has only received promises.

Adding to his woes، he mentioned that he did not receive compensation for the damage to his home last year، and legal proceedings are ongoing.

Business Impacted

The flood and subsequent isolation have also severely impacted Lyovin's beekeeping business. His sheds and beehives were destroyed by the floodwaters. Without funds for repairs and facing the ongoing risk of further flooding، he is in a precarious position.

"Now I have to transport the bees to the south for wintering، which is very costly. If the issue with my house isn't resolved، I may have to give up beekeeping altogether،" he lamented.

Lyovin awaits the spring with apprehension، knowing his home remains unprotected and vulnerable to future floods. The lack of access means he cannot retrieve any belongings from his property.

Local Administration's Response

According to the Akimat (local administration) of Kyzylzhar district، an offer was made to purchase Lyovin's house following the 2025 floods. The property was valued at 8،256،000 tenge. However، Lyovin disagreed with this valuation، assessing his property at 19 million tenge himself.

"Legal proceedings are underway. The administration has promised that if there is a risk of flooding، the owner will be assisted in removing property، and a path to the house will be organized،" the official response stated.