Pushcha's law suit was rejected.
Former general director is to stay in Kamenyuki village
The article by Elena Tribuleva,
Published in «Vecherniy Brest» (The Evening Brest) Newspaper, #100,
December 13, 2002
The story about the eviction of the family of former general director of State National Park «Belovezhskaya Pushcha» Evgeny Smoktunovich from the departmental apartment, published in the «Evening Brest» on December 4th («The administration of the famous reserve evicts former director from apartment»), has partly been clarified. On Wednesday the court of the Kamenetz district, under chairmanship of Nickolai Andreychuk ruled this civil action and rejected the request of the state national park. This decision can be appealed by the plaintiff within a term of 10 days. On our information, that's what the administration of the reserve is going to do.
Evgeny Smoktunovich has got the departmental apartment in Kamenyuki village in August last year as he had the post of General Forest Warden in the reserve. Almost at the same time the first work conflict occurred between him and Nickolai Bambiza recently nominated to the post of director. According to personal words of Mr. Smoktunovich who has 25 years of work experience in the Belovezhskaya Pushcha, there were «differences regarding methods of forestry». The General Forest Warden was then successful in proving the correctness of his approaches at the head office management level. However after this, his wife was dismissed on grounds of personnel reduction. Then job contract of Mr. Smoktunovich ended and was not prolonged. His senior son also lost his job, though he was named forestry foreman in Yazvinskoe forestry year ago. On top of all these, the administration of the reserve took the decision to evict Smoktunovich's family from departmental apartment in Kamenyuki village and to quarter them into a similar apartment in the village of Nemerzha, Svisloch district, Grodno region — 58 kilometers away from Kamenyuki.
The court was faced with arguments from the plaintiff according to which Mr. Smoktunovich supposedly deceived the park's administration and due to this he illegally received a departmental apartment in Kamenyuki. All members of the family of the former General Forest Warden with the exception of the younger son, who is a student, were employees of the park. Moreover, at that time the administration of the reserve signed a one year contract with the senior son. This is how the park's administration knew about his intention to continue his job in Yazvinskoe forestry. Besides, according to Clause 73 of the Housing Codes of the Republic of Belarus, the housing given to citizens that are evicted should be located within the borders of the same settlement, while in the countryside it could be within the borders of the given municipality or, if they are situated on the grounds of several municipalities, within the territory of a collective or state farm. The Nemerzha village is located in Grodno region so it does not correspond to rules of the Code in anyway.
At last, the area of the departmental apartment occupied by the now out of favour Smoktunovich family, makes up 60 square meters. The apartment in the Nemerzha village, offered as alternative, has only 30.4 square meters. Taking into account all the above mentioned circumstances the court did not find reasons to carry on with the law suit of the park. Unfortunately, it is still early to give the final verdict of this ugly story. To all appearances, it will rather keep getting on the nerves of the family of former director of the reserve.