Russian → English transcript

Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, you are being addressed by

the residents of the Shenkursky District of the Arkhangelsk Region.

We have an urgent problem with purchasing petroleum products.

Starting January 15, 2026, at the 881st kilometer of the federal

M8 highway, the Lukoil gas station that serves

more than 25 nearby settlements is closing. At gas station number

293 557, vehicles are also constantly refueled that belong to

social services: utilities, postal services,

road and medical services, school transportation,

intercity shuttle buses, and local entrepreneurs.

Within the territory of the Shenkursky District along the federal

M8 highway there are two more gas stations: a Rosneft station, which

is 88 kilometers away, and a second, private gas station

23 kilometers away, where there are often problems

for the owner with fuel deliveries.

There is one more gas station, but it is on

the other bank of the Vaga River, in the town of Shenkursk,

where there is no permanent bridge, and in the fall

season it is simply impossible to get there. It is no

secret to anyone that villages in the Arkhangelsk region

are dying. Young people are leaving, the population is aging,

social facilities are closing. The residents who still

remain in our villages are forced to travel to the district

center to go to the hospital, and to the pharmacy, and

to the shops, and to the administration. If we deprive

them of the opportunity to buy fuel not far from home,

then people will be forced to leave. We

constantly talk about the development of agriculture,

about the development of tourism, about the development of rural areas.

We urge young people to stay in the villages. But

what can we offer them?

When even for gasoline you have to drive dozens of kilometers

and buy it in advance. Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich,

we, the residents of the Shenkursky district, fully realize

the scale of the tasks you face and the responsibility

that you bear for the fate of the whole country. But

we also believe that attention to the needs of ordinary

people, to the problems of remote corners of Russia

is the key to its prosperity. The closure of the Lukoil gas station

in the Shenkursky district will be for us not just

an inconvenience but a real threat to the existence

of many settlements. It will deprive us of access to a vitally

important resource and make life in the countryside, already

difficult enough, even harder. We understand that

decisions to close certain business facilities are made

on the basis of economic calculations.

But in this case we are convinced that it is necessary to take into account

the social importance of the Lukoil gas station for our

of the district. Alternative options, unfortunately,

cannot fully replace the gas station being closed

because of remoteness, supply issues

and the lack of reliable transport accessibility.

We ask you, Vladimir Vladimirovich, to consider

the possibility of keeping the Lukoil gas station at kilometer 881

of the federal highway M8. Perhaps there are ways

to find a compromise solution that will allow

both the company’s economic interests

and the needs of the residents of the Shenkursky district to be met.

We believe that with your help we will be able to preserve

our villages, give people the opportunity to live

and work on their native land, to develop agriculture

and tourism in our wonderful northern region.

We hope for your wise decision and support.

We need a gas station!