A 33-year-old from Russia is on a simple mission. To better the lives of pensioners and war veterans. The way he goes about it, however, is anything but simple. Anton Savchuk isn’t a millionaire, he’s a humble construction worker, but that doesn’t stop him from picking his own pocket to renovate the homes of these sometimes forgotten citizens.
“When I was watching TV, I noticed how poorly some of the people who get medals or gifts from officials live,” Anton told Bored Panda. “These people are living far from good and it really bothered me. I thought, ‘How is this possible that those who served their motherland could live like this?’ War veterans are remembered once a year, on the 9th of May (Victory Day). People with disabilities live in similar conditions. If my project lives on, I’ll include struggling teachers and doctors as well.”
47-year-old tram driver Polina Gennadievna’s apartment before renovations
And after
“We renovated a home that belonged to a veteran of the Second World War which consisted of three different parts, a disabled person, a tram driver, and another veteran who fought in the Siege of Leningrad.”
Valentina Isaevna is 71 years old and has been disabled since childhood. This is her apartment before Anton started working on it
And here it is after
“When I started the project, I had some money that I’ve saved up before. At first, I spent about $1,500 but then I realized that the work I was doing wasn’t enough,” Anton said. “The last renovation that I did was the most expensive one. I want to find somebody who could sponsor the work but for that, I probably need more followers and views. Currently, I’m not sure if I will be able to continue my project or not because it relies on my money that is quickly running out.”
95-year-old war veteran Vasily Fedorovich and his wife Tamara Aleksandrovna have been together over 60 years. Here’s how their apartment looked when Anton visited it
Anton has a few people who help him. The three of them usually take anywhere from 2 to 3 weeks to complete one renovation. “We paid 99% for the first three renovations,” he continued. “Then, some people started sending donations but there were very few of them. We even got a couple of donations from the USA, Canada, and Europe and even though these were rare cases, it really struck me.”
During renovations
After
Anton said he never thought this could’ve happened. So far, however, the donations don’t make up a substantial amount. “Usually, people send some money for work supplies, coffee, or tea (they say so in the messages), but even though it’s mostly a few dollars, it’s incredibly nice. Every little bit helps and inspires me to continue. It makes me realize I’m not alone in my quest.”
Tatyana Ilyinichnam who survived the blockade of Leningrad, will soon celebrate her 80th birthday. Here’s her place before the renovation
And after
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