“Together with Tatiana Drubich, we are the chairpersons of the Vera Hospice Aid Fund.
And the founder and founder of the Foundation is Nyuta Federmesser.
It so happened that she called me fifteen years ago. Then it was still completely "unacceptable"...
"Why do we deal with dying people when we need to deal with those who need to be saved?"
The answer is very simple. We have been given to live this much.
One thing is guaranteed to us, is that we will die someday.
So: this period (shows with his hands a small segment in the conditional life expectancy - editor's note) should not be worse, humiliating than any of this one (the previous part of life - editor's note).
And therefore - the hospice is a home. And therefore, since Nyuta visited you, a law has been passed stating that everyone in this country has the right to palliative care.
What does it mean? Palliative medicine deals with people who cannot be cured.
This means - a kind of combination of medical and social assistance to a person.
And we are doing this.
Now at the Moscow level, we can say that these are budgetary organizations, but Nyuta headed the palliative care center, a large one, under which, like an umbrella, all eight Moscow hospices.
Plus there is the first private children's hospice called "House with a lighthouse".
We started it together with "Give Life", with Chulpan Khamatova, and then it became a separate foundation, and now it is an independent organization.
This is an absolutely charitable cause. We have collected money, there are trustees. And, the only thing, the city gave us land when we were going to do it. And now it has its own leaders.
This is a great organization. She helps, I think, 700 children.
Hospice is not just that house. This is also a lot of people who are engaged in our field service.
So this is very important. This is help not only to the sick, but also to relatives.
Sometimes they say: well, what, they can't deal with the sick at home? It's not even a question...
It's a matter of dignity. I will not go into details, but there are things that other people should already help solve.
(In Russia, charity is not yet very developed). This is a young business.
Because, think about it, this was not the case in the Soviet Union.
It is very important... When I was growing up, nobody told me about it...
...I do not know, I judge by myself... I am not some kind of angel. But man likes to do good.
Therefore, it is necessary to give people such an opportunity".
The full interview with Ingeborga Dapkunaite can be viewed here.