Ekaterinburg may face shortage of federal funds for parks. The city is short of 112 thousand votes to receive the funds.
Only two weeks remain until voting closes for the renovation of eight parks in Ekaterinburg under the project "Forming a Comfortable Urban Environment." With over 272,000 residents already having cast their ballots, the city needs an additional 112,000 votes to secure federal funding. Last year, residents set a record for voter turnout—reaching approximately 325,000. If the city achieves this target, construction of the 50th Anniversary of the VLKSM Park slated for 2025 will start. In this year, the city risks missing out on funding from Moscow.
Mayor Aleksandr Orlov has issued a call to residents to address the situation, urging them not to be indifferent to their hometown. He asks locals to select one of the eight park candidates and cast their vote on the Government Services Platform or through volunteers. Activists can be found daily from 4 PM to 8 PM near shopping centers, such as "RaDuha-Park," "Mega," "Omega," "Grantat," "Veer-Mall," "Academic," "Apl seasons," "MegaPolis," "Greenwhich," "Pasazh," "AlaTyry," "Fan-Fan," "Globus," "Park-Haus," "Direktsabl," "Kirovskiy," "MaxDom," "Karnaval," "Yablochko."
In this year, the eight areas vying for reconstruction include the Academic District (second phase of Preobrazhensky Park), the Railway District (bank of the Olkhovka and Iset Rivers), the October District (second phase of the park on Meteogorka or the park named after 50 Years of Soviet Power), the Kirov District (Osovinskiy Park), the Ordzhonikidze District (Bulvar Kultury), the Chkalov District (park named after Chkalov), the Leninsky District (skver along Amundsen Street from Ulitsa Volgogradskaya to Bardina), and the Verh-Isetskiy District (skver in the neighborhood of Ulitsa Kraulia).
This year, Ekaterinburg received 1.1 billion rubles from the federal government for park renovations. With this funding, the city has improved 11 public spaces. In 2023, the park "Uralmah" participated in the federal project "Forming a Comfortable Urban Environment," but did not receive enough votes.
Since 2018, federal funding for park renovations has nearly been halved. These renovation projects often include renovations and modernizations of recreational facilities, the enhancement of green spaces, installation of sports and fitness infrastructure, development of pedestrian and cycling paths, creation of cultural and event spaces, and implementation of environmental sustainability measures such as energy-efficient lighting and waste management. The specific proposals for each of the eight parks being considered by Ekaterinburg are yet to be disclosed. For details, it is advisable to consult official Ekaterinburg city government releases or the Russian Ministry of Construction or Urban Development websites.
Residents of Ekaterinburg should take note of the urgent news regarding the ongoing voting for the renovation of eight parks, including the lifestyle-related areas such as the Academic District, the Railway District, and the October District. To ensure federal funding for the chosen parks, Mayor Aleksandr Orlov encourages lifestyle enthusiasts to select one of the eight candidates and cast their vote in the home-and-garden section of the Government Services Platform or through local volunteers, who can be found near shopping centers such as RaDuha-Park, Mega, Omega, Grantat, Veer-Mall, Academic, Apl seasons, MegaPolis, Greenwhich, Pasazh, AlaTyry, Fan-Fan, Globus, Park-Haus, Direktsabl, Kirovskiy, MaxDom, Karnaval, Yablochko.
