A seasonal recreation area was returned to the main square of the capital of Buryatia, which was turned into an even larger eclectic circus.
Benches and gazebos, swings, flowers, a children's play area with a lawn, and topiary appeared on the territory. The officials crammed everything they could think of into it and spared no money from the budget. Until September, the main place of the city turned into a park, which many citizens do not like. The summer zone project was not discussed with the Ulan-Ude residents, so they are content with the fact that Mayor of the city Igor Shutenkov I thought it was beautiful and useful.
Small birch trees raised a lot of questions among townspeople. They are installed in concrete barrels, which are popularly called “ashtrays”. Chances are the plants will not survive by the end of summer unless they are replanted in regular soil on the ground. And of course the trees will not have time to grow this yearto cast shade in the heat. In addition, birch pollen is a strong allergen. So why are they needed in the square at all? People ask this question, but do not receive a concrete answer from the administration.
Past experience has taught Shutenkov nothing: officials continue to buy expensive bright green and cartoonish artificial grass sculptures, which naturally attract children who want to “ride” them. One such green beast is worth more than 200 thousand rubles. Sculptures in parks, unless they are monuments, are usually made with the idea that children will interact with them. For example, mosaic statues in the Rainbow park.
Since we decided to turn the square into a park, we need to follow the logic of parks. Either hire a security guard or order sculptures made from hard materials, which can be much cheaper.
Also, new topiaries were installed on the Square of Soviets: ram, bull, camel, goat. The main square of the city was literally turned into stall, this expresses the true attitude of officials towards the people. And the girl, who sat on the head of a grass goat and became an anti-hero in the local media, simply enjoyed the moments of her childhood. She didn’t kick him, didn’t hit him with a stick, there was no cruelty in her actions.
Adults, unfortunately, are evil. They will continue to break this green shame out of hatred for officials and deputies who sit around the Square of Soviets in government buildings and believe that people need a statue of a ram or a cow, not affordable mutton or beef.
Why take good care of Shutenkov’s brainchild when city hall employees, for example, neglect the opinions of local residents on the construction of a new prison within the city? And there are plenty of similar problems. But most Ulan-Ude residents are careful about the recreation area. They even go onto the lawn after taking off their shoes.
Now the Square of Soviets has, excuse the Zoomer word, the vibe of amateur courtyard parks made of car tires. Zero design, maximum useless spending from the budget. The valiant police do not monitor the recreation area in any way; cigarette butts and empty bottles are found on the lawn. Lawbreakers smoke and drink alcohol with impunity in a public place, in the very heart of the city, where there is a police box a stone's throw away. So the citizens’ claims are not only against Mayor Shutenkov, but also against Minister of Internal Affairs Oleg Kudinov.
Let us remind you that the summer recreation area on Soviet Square appeared in 2022. The project cost the municipal budget quite a lot, amounting to more than 15 million rubles. The structures remain in place all summer and are removed in the fall. Although such gazebos would not hurt in the cold season.