At the meeting of the Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee: Details hinder comfort

Hardly anyone among the people walking in the center of Vitebsk on City Day noticed two individuals in the crowd who were not led there by idle curiosity. Meanwhile, the head of the region, Nikolai Sherstnev, along with his deputy Oleg Matskevich, was assessing the level of organization of the festive events with the discerning eye of a host who will soon be receiving many guests. On the eve of the large-scale celebrations for Independence Day and the "Slavianski Bazaar," he was interested in how professionally the organizers approach the resolution of issues that affect the comfort and safety of citizens.

It turned out that in the familiar hustle and bustle, a number of points were overlooked. These were highlighted at an operational meeting with the chairman of the regional executive committee this week, to which responsible officials from the regional and Vitebsk city executive committees were invited. The relevant services have been given specific instructions to revise the established approaches to organizing mass recreation and entertainment for Vitebsk residents and city guests.

The main changes will concern the boundaries of the 500-meter alcohol-free zone provided for by law in places where cultural and entertainment events are held. It is to be organized in such a way that the sale of alcoholic beverages and beer is moved from the territory where people are directly relaxing (locations of concerts, children's and play areas, attractions, exhibition fairs, etc.) to the so-called "celebration zone."

In particular, in Victory Park, "shashlik with cognac" will have to be relocated to its lower part, further away from the memorial complex, the exhibition of military equipment, and children's attractions. An ice cream, soft drinks, and juice stall is much more appropriate here than an "Alivaria" beer stall.

The initiators of the exhibition of military equipment that participated in the battles of the past war hardly imagined that it would become one of the favorite places for children's games, which swarm here on weekends and holidays. Therefore, apparently, they did not provide for the installation of benches for adults, who are forced to shift from foot to foot while their children crawl on the armor. City services are instructed to ensure their installation.

The upper and lower parts of Victory Park (one for recreation, the second for festivities) will be divided by a trade zone. Trading in the city center, where a large number of vacationers gather, is a very profitable business, so places for seasonal trade are sold at auction and are quite expensive. But even with this scenario, reasonable management of the placement of trading facilities is required, emphasized the chairman of the regional executive committee. A person will buy souvenirs or household goods on the way out, but they are not needed in the center of the park. There, it is necessary to focus on increasing the number of tables and seating to avoid people crowding in queues.

The issue of biotoilets, randomly scattered throughout the park, is no less important. The unsanitary conditions are exacerbated by the problem of their maintenance. Henceforth, they are instructed to be concentrated in a separate zone, accessible for maintenance by special equipment, with appropriate signs indicating the approaches.

The landscaping of the Western Dvina embankment from Victory Square to the Square of the 1000th Anniversary of Vitebsk has turned this corner of the city into a charming place for a promenade, reminiscent of the fragrant embankments of southern resort towns. One can imagine elegant gentlemen in white suits and graceful ladies with lace umbrellas... To enhance the effect, it is necessary to provide musical accompaniment, organize performances by artists, fill the park with street attractions, artists, etc.

There is very little time left to "polish" the most popular cultural and entertainment center in Vitebsk. Certain changes, most likely, will be seen tomorrow. Well, we will wait for the "masterpiece" by the "Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk".

Lyudmila Myshlyonok,

chief specialist of the main department

of ideology, culture

and youth affairs of the regional executive committee