Today, the situation is different. Russia is in political, economic and social chaos. Millions of Russians have been affected by the economic crisis. Poverty, alcoholism and prostitution are everyday phenomena and hundreds of thousands of children are roaming wild in the streets. Producer Margreet Strijbosch joined a Finnish aid worker on a tour of St. Petersburg.
Nobody knows exactly how many Russian children live on the streets.
Street children are a new phenomenon in Russia. The government is unsure how to cope with the situation. Western aid organisations are offering help, but it's only a drop in the bucket. Lisa Gerdin , a Finnish aid worker, has set up an organisation to help these children. On weekdays, she drives her van from station to station, to distribute bread and drinks.