A Plea for Help: Give Us a Chance to Finish Our Home and Save My Brother

Dear friends, kind strangers,

          Our story is one of struggle—for a dream, for a roof over our heads, and for a loved one who desperately needs us. My wife Irina and I spent 10 years renting (for me, it's been 23 long years) before we could finally start building our own home. In February 2022, after selling our only inheritance—a share in an apartment in Smolensk—we poured every penny (about €11,000 at current exchange rate) into construction.

          But that was also when the Special Military Operation began, and with it came sanctions that crippled our income. Our English-language online store (ecominded.net) and ethno-tours to ancient dolmens (https://ecominded.net/vedic-russia-ethno-tour) nearly stopped earning. International payments became a problem, and tourists disappeared.

          Still, we pushed forward with all our strength, taking out loans just to keep going. When our landlady suddenly raised the rent, we had no choice but to move into our unfinished house—no proper floors, no windows, no real staircase. For two years, Irina and I have been slowly fixing up two rooms—one for us, one for our daughter. We still don't have a bathtub, just a toilet. The stairs are makeshift and unsafe. Every step forward has been paid for with more debt, and it keeps growing. For now we are burdened with debts exceeding 4 million rubles (about €43,000), incurring over 100,000 rubles in monthly interest alone - this consumes almost all of our income from both the shop and the tours.

But the hardest part is my younger brother, Alexey.

          He has spent five years in a care home located 400 km away from us. He suffers from a chronic illness and complains about the terrible food and conditions. He owns a small apartment (365 sq ft ) and is willing to sell it  (worth approximately €26,500) to help us finish the house so he can live with us. But...

          The problem is:

          * The apartment's documents were lost (the 1996 sales contract needs to be restored).
          * We need to get a power of attorney, but we don't even have money for a notary (€100) or the trip to see him (€ 200)
          * To bring Alexey home, we must complete some works: move the kitchen, install a bathroom, connect the gas, pour the floors.

          We're already drowning in debt (€43,000 in loans), and without help, we can't do this alone.

We're Asking for Your Support

          We urgently need €4,300 (400,000 rubles) as a short-term loan for 7-12 months, secured against Alexey's apartment. We’re happy to discuss interest terms to compensate lenders for their support. This money will go toward:
          ✔ Legal paperwork (€300)
          ✔ Urgent repairs (€4,000 for bathroom, kitchen, gas, flooring)
          ✔ Bringing Alexey home from that institution—to a quiet place where he'll be cared for

          We're not asking for charity—we're asking for a chance. A chance to get my brother out of that place, to finish our home, and to stop living under the weight of debt.

          If you can help—please reach out. We will repay every dollar (with interest!) once the apartment is sold.

          Thank you for your kindness and attention.

          How to help: please contact Yuri Smirnov to discuss the loan conditions via email: [email protected], Telegram: @ecominded or Whatsapp: +7 9965357263 .

          P.S. Even if a loan isn't possible for you right now, a donation of any size through our Donation Page would mean the world to us. In these difficult times, every dollar truly helps us survive and stay together as a family.

          P.P.S. If you can't help financially, please share this post. Someone out there might see it.