What's missing from the description of a district heating paradise in Russia (ex USSR really) are constant issues with hot water / heat availability throughout

What's missing from the description of a district heating paradise in Russia (ex USSR really) are constant issues with hot water / heat availability throughout the year. It's not unheard of cities shutting down central hot water supply for months for maintenance, or breakdowns of central heating in the middle of the harsh winter. The further you go from regional centers, the worse situation gets. The temperature that you get in your apartment out of this system is also inconsistent, and depends on a variety of issues with aged infrastructure. My family lives in a relatively small town in Ukraine, got fed up with that and installed a gas-powered heater that serves both heating and hot water. This setup is 15+ years old already, never looked back. When the rest of the building is freezing cold, it just works.