5.  The applicants are four Russian nationals. 6.  As victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster they were entitled to social housing under domestic law. Because the authorities had failed to provide them with housing in good time, the applicants sought relief in courts. In October and December 2004 the Pervomayskiy District Court of Krasnodar (“the District Court”) held for the applicants, the judgments became binding. The details of the judgments are shown in the appended table. 7.  In March 2006 the writs of execution were issued in respect of the judgments. According to the writs, the applicants were to be granted housing, as ordered by the domestic court. 8.  In 2006 the respondent authority offered the applicants to settle the case by providing them with cash payment in the amount allegedly representing the value of the flat. The applicants submitted that the amounts proposed were manifestly lower than the market value of the flats granted by the domestic judgments. 9.  By four separate written statements the applicants refused the offer. They stated in their refusals that in accordance with the judgments in their favour and with the writs of execution the authorities were under obligation to provide them with flats, and not with the sums of money. 10.  On 24 May 2007 the District Court instructed the bailiffs to enforce the judgments in accordance with the writs of execution. 11.  On 20 November 2007 the bailiffs informed the applicants that the execution of the judgments in compliance with the writs was impossible, “since the Administration of the Krasnodar Region could only use the monetary funds allocated from the federal budget”. 12.  The authorities sought to alter the mode of enforcement of the judgments from in-kind provision of flats to delivery of housing certificates. By a decision of 6 April 2009, upheld on appeal on 7 May 2009, the District Court refused to change the mode of execution of the judgments.