On 24 February 2015, Kyiv City State Administration released the notification that it plans reconstruction of 23 parks in Kyiv. dreamkyiv.com/kmda-planuye-rekonstruyuvaty-23-kyyivskyh-parky/ In particular, there are plans to make in parks cobbled paths, navigation, bicycle infrastructure, benches, trash receptacles, lighting, Wi-Fi, drinking sources, video cameras and emergency help buttons. Budget funds are planned to be used to finance installation of the video control and Wi-Fi, other costs are to be funded from other sources. Therefore, Kyiv City State Administration declares the intention to look for “park renovation” investors.
“However, parks in Kyiv have different status. Part of green territories of general use have protected status. Among 23 parks planned to be reconstructed 16 have the protected status (Khreshchatyi, Volodymyrska hirka, Mariinskyi and Miskyi gardens, Pecherskyi landscape park, Shevchenko park, Navodnytskyi park, Rylskyi park, Nyvky, Syretskyi park, Pushkin park, berezovyi hay, Park Partyzanskoyi Slavy, Yunist, Peremoha, Vidradnyi park), and 4 are planned to be awarded the protected status (Solomianskyi landscape forest park), park in honor of fighters for freedom and independence of Ukraine, Obolon’ ( Natalka pit) and Trukhaniv island) while as early as 1994, Trukhaniv island was reserved for protection by the decision of Kyiv city council, – comments EPL environmentalist Kateryna Norenko.
“Every protected park has an approved provision stipulating which activities are permitted and which are not in the territory of the park. However, the notification of Kyiv City State Administration says about search for projects and investors rather than about valuable natural territories that are protected by the state”, adds EPL environmentalist Oleksiy Vasyliuk. – It should be emphasized that Kyiv City State Administration is looking for investors rather than maecenases; therefore, the construction in parks will be aimed at getting profit. Moreover, the Program of development of green zones in Kyiv includes 15 parks that were to have been reconstructed by 2010 and 290,68 mln UAH were allocated for this. If they need reconstruction again so soon, then the question is how effectively the budget funds were used.”
For example, M. Rylskyi park is part of the National Natural Park “Holosiyivskyi”. Any activities here are to be performed only according to the Plan of organization of the territory approved by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of Ukraine with the aim to protect valuable natural complexes of territories. The Ministry will not amend the Plan of organization of the territory of the national park just to please the investor. Moreover, amendments to the plan are developed for at least a year and need additional budget funds. Therefore, any changes that can be made by investors in the park will violate the legislation and shall be punished according to Art. 252 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. It is important to mention that majority of parks that are monuments of garden and park art and are to be reconstructed are of national importance; thus, without additional approvals of their provisions by the Ministry of Environment no changes can be performed in them.
For further information please contact:
Oleksiy Vasyliuk, EPL environmentalist
Еmail: office@epl.org.ua; vasyliuk@gmail.com
tel. (032) 225 – 76 – 82, (097) 100 – 04 – 73
Kateryna Norenko, EPL environmentalist
Еmail: office@e[l.org.ua; kateryna.norenko@gmail.com
tel. (032) 225 – 76 – 82, (097) 352 – 84 – 85
