Once again, the Irkutsk mayor’s office has demonstrated an act of astonishing negligence and outright indifference to the Irkutsk residents. And once again, with the easy instigation of a “talented” manager Ruslana Bolotova the regional capital has found itself embroiled in a major construction scandal. This time, the main character was the Angara embankment. It is certainly a place that has long been in need of some attention and care.
The fact that the center of Irkutsk is becoming more and more depressing every year has been repeatedly stated, and not only by the editorial staff of Babr. The crumbling roads, missing storm drains, and chaotic nature of the development, along with the destruction and collapse of wooden houses, which are often objects of cultural or architectural heritage of the city and region, have attracted the attention of the public, the media, and concerned citizens.
And in September 2024, it became known about a large-scale breakthrough in this matter – the repair of the Angara embankment. True, it became known not from the administration that took on the project, but from a blogger and journalist Pavla Stepanov. He published sad photos of the embankment on his Telegram channel, where part of the road surface was dismantled.
The state of Gagarin Boulevard in September 2024Let us repeat, in September. Exactly when the construction season in Siberia inevitably comes to an end. And let us remind you once again that all events are taking place in deathly silence from the Irkutsk mayor’s office.
But such situations in recent years are indeed a classic picture. Communicating with residents, showing them at least some, well, regular attention is not the business of the Irkutsk mayor’s office. At the very least, because these residents do not have to choose a mayor. So why waste time on them?
They feel abandoned, and along with this abandoned, the city itself and its residents. And they openly share their impressions of the work of the Irkutsk mayor and his team in the comments of Pavel Stepanov.
As a rule, it is the mayor who heads the city administration and manages all local officials and municipal enterprises, and also resolves so-called “local issues” – from cleaning the city to building kindergartens.
It is worth noting that city residents usually elect mayors, and city managers are hired by city council members under contract.
Well, as we know, the “mayor” of Irkutsk is not responsible for anything; any question or complaint is sent to the relevant department.”
“Puppet theater! The worst mayor in the history of the city!”
“Bolotov Ruslan Lyudmilych is a very weak official.”
The absurdity of the situation went even further when one of the blogger’s subscribers shared with him the official response from the city administration to the question of what was happening with Gagarin Boulevard.
As it turned out, part of the embankment structure (the parapet) was ownerless. That is, the city administration did not register the property right in its center as its own. A paradox, an absurdity and, frankly, a disgrace to the work of the mayor’s office. But let’s give credit not only to the current one, but also to the previous one.
After the scandal broke out, the administration finally published material on its channel about the ongoing repairs on the embankment. Condescending to the residents, so to speak.
