50 Thousand Roses to Be Planted and New Recreation Areas to Open: How the Capital Will Change by 2026

— In spring, we will plant about 10 thousand trees and about 50 thousand shrubs, and then continue this work in autumn, — says Ekaterina Korotkina, Deputy General Director for Landscaping and Maintenance of Green Infrastructure Facilities at "Minskzelenstroi". — I cannot yet say what the final numbers will be, as they may be adjusted after spring inspections of green spaces. When the leaves begin to unfurl, we will see how the trees and shrubs have survived the winter, and then we will begin to develop plans for autumn. In principle, this snowy winter has been favorable for plants. But whether our expectations have been met will become clear later.

The city is being built up, and it is necessary to green new neighborhoods, as well as to carry out compensatory plantings in place of old and diseased trees felled in areas designated for construction. In the latter case, we strive to plant new trees in the areas where they were removed, and only in exceptional cases in other territories.

This year, 50,000 roses of various colors — bush and miniature varieties — will be planted in Minsk. Moreover, this number is not included in the total number of planned shrub plantings. Roses will appear in all corners of the capital: seedlings will be divided equally — 5,000 for each district and 5,000 for "Minskzelenstroi".

Another daily task for "Minskzelenstroi" and district enterprises is lawn care. In some places, they are trampled; in others, grass suffers from anti-icing reagents. Workers in green construction save some areas with fertilizers, while in others, new soil and grass seeding are required.

Parks and Boulevards

According to "Minskzelenstroi," 34 parks and forest parks, 160 squares, and 28 boulevards are assigned to the system's enterprises. Annually, flowers are planted there, existing green spaces are fertilized, and the condition of small architectural forms, stairs, and pathways is monitored.

— New parks are also being created, — says Korotkina. — For example, the People's Unity Park is planned to open this year. Work is also underway at Hugo Chávez Park. This will be a sports-oriented area: a roller ski track, an open-air ice rink, children's and sports equipment. And, of course, trees, bushes, and flowers. By the way, they plan to plant about 1,000 roses here. Work on creating new recreation areas will continue this year.

As before, at least two locations will be opened in each district of the capital — by Independence Day and City Day.

Small Architectural Forms

— We develop new projects for landscape compositions and small architectural forms annually, — clarifies Korotkina. — In recent years, vertical landscaping has been increasingly used, where trees, bushes, and perennial plants are planted in high concrete forms. This alternative to traditional landscaping allows plants to be less affected by anti-icing reagents in winter. This year, we want to do this in Mikhailovsky Square. In addition, we are planning another interesting project where more than 200 small architectural forms will be combined in a single area, into which the most diverse types of plants will be planted. Benches, and possibly retail outlets, will be installed in the center of the site. This project is still being finalized.

Roads

The territory along the Minsk Ring Road (MKAD) and railways is under the jurisdiction of various organizations. These are "Minskzelenstroi", district administrations, the Minsk City Forest Park Management, and the forest farm of the Minsk region.

— As for the territory along the Minsk Ring Road, about the greening of which much has been said in recent years, today we strive to plant ash trees and prickly spruces there. There was a period when common spruce was popular, but this plant is still a forest species, and we noticed that it does not take root well in open terrain, — explains Korotkina. — Therefore, today we plant those tree species that adapt better. And observations show that their survival rate in roadside areas is good — 97-98% of seedlings survive.

Beaches

23 beaches, located both within and beyond the city limits, are assigned to enterprises part of the "Minskzelenstroi" structure. Annually, before the swimming season, painting and repair of existing equipment are carried out there, new equipment is installed, and small architectural forms are updated. New sun loungers, container sites, children's play and sports equipment are added. The coastline is replenished with sand, and access roads to the beaches and parking spaces are repaired.

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