Happy birthday Alexander! Community rallies to buy car for elderly man

Siberia’s well-known goodwill has once again triumphed after a community rallied together to buy a new car for an elderly man whose own vehicle was set on fire.

Alexander Belousov, 73, was left devastated after hooligans torched his beloved Moskvitch-412 particularly as he had no way of being able to buy another. But hearing about his plight, members of his neighbourhood in Omsk joined forces and formulated a plan to secretly raise the funds themselves in time for his 74^th birthday.

A campaign to get 50,000 roubles ($949/£609) was launched online on the social network VK and within days the donations started flooding in.

It started with a message that read: 'Friends! Let’s help an old man who is in a difficult situation. At the end of November unknown vandals burnt his Moskvitch-412. 

'Alexander has no means to buy a new car, and the old one is beyond repair. He is turning 74 on 14th December - do you think we can all get together and each bring a little bit of money in? If we gather 50,000 roubles we can help him get a new car to replace the burnt one'.

The message added: 'Your little contribution can make a huge difference'.

'I am so grateful for what you’ve done'. Pictures here and below: Alina Yatckevich, Avaryiniy Omsk

By November 17 the group had raised 6,500 roubles but this had more than doubled to 19,000 roubles the following day. The target was reached on November 20, when well-wishers had managed to raise 55,000 roubles, allowing them to surprise the septuagenarian with a new car.

Mr Belousov, who works in the Triumph Shopping Centre, said he was delighted, and overwhelmed, by the generosity of his community.

He said: 'I love the car. I can’t say how surprised I felt when I heard about them coming together to help me. I so didn’t expect it to happen…I didn’t expect it at all!

'And you know what, I believe that our youngsters are not so hopeless. No, they can do a lot for the country. 

I still need to get my bearings, I felt rather lost when they broke the news about this car to me. I didn’t expect such attention to myself and I felt really shy - and very, very touched. I am so grateful for what you’ve done'.