Residents of Nalchik have called the problem of open manholes systemic.
Residents of the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria have highlighted the urgency of the problem of open manholes on the streets. A claim for damages for a pensioner who fell into a manhole may be filed as part of the ongoing case.
As reported by "Caucasian Knot," a criminal case was opened against employees of the Nalchik Vodokanal following an incident on Pushkin Street, where an elderly woman fell into an open manhole. The case is being investigated under the article on the provision of services that do not meet safety requirements, resulting in serious bodily harm, which carries a penalty of up to six years in prison or up to five years of forced labor.
An elderly woman from Nalchik fell into an open manhole on Pushkin Street on the evening of March 5th. She was hospitalized with injuries, including fractures. According to investigators, the manhole was covered with debris.
Residents of Nalchik say open manholes on the city's streets are not uncommon. Marziyat Kholaeva reported that in 2025 she saw an open manhole in the village of Khasanya, part of the Nalchik Urban District. "I was walking down the street, looking at my phone, and almost fell into a manhole on Bratyev Rakhayev Street, where repair work was underway. "The manhole was subsequently closed," the woman told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.
"(I saw an open manhole) in 2025 in the Gorny district. I also noticed how dangerous it was," noted another Nalchik resident, who did not wish to publish her name.
Zhuahar Appayeva, a Nalchik resident, reported that she had never seen open manholes. "Fortunately, I haven't encountered such problems, but three years ago, an ice block almost fell on me from the roof," she said.
The urgency of the open manhole problem was highlighted by readers of the "ChP Nalchik" public page on Instagram*. For example, a user with the nickname safamalina.07 reported that she called three times about an open manhole near the children's clinic. "I told them, 'Before something happens, close it.' "As a result, the manhole has been open for three months," she wrote.
"Right across from my work (in Chegem) there are two manholes that have been open for three years now. I called the administration, but there was no response. This is the street where the hospital and social security office are, which is important," reported swet.ik.
"We also have an open manhole in our yard, and no one cares. Apparently, someone is about to fall through," wrote a reader with the nickname nata_colorist.
The "ChP Nalchik" public page has 505,000 subscribers. A post published on March 7 about a pensioner's fall into an open manhole had garnered 40 comments as of 6:45 PM Moscow time on March 11.
Lawyer Timofey Shirokov believes that a civil claim for compensation for material and moral damages can be filed within the framework of the existing case. "Then it will be much easier to prove the need for compensation. Because the consequences for the victim's health, both physical and material, will be indicated based on the criminal case materials," Shirokov explained.
"In such cases, if investigators consider a criminal case unnecessary, they can put the matter on hold. But if they have a clear mandate for such cases, they will be eager to investigate. But in any case, the victim needs to have documents about the incident itself: who rescued her and how, what injuries she suffered at the hospital, and also keep medical records, certificates, and medication receipts." A claim for material and moral damages can be general and amount to any amount, but it's very difficult to predict what amount the judge will approve," Shirokov concluded.