Novgorodians celebrated the opening of the renovated park of the central microdistrict with the "Friendship Day"

Bright pictures on the asphalt blackened by newness, heartfelt songs and wooden toys became part of the family holiday, which recently took place in the park on Gzen. Specialists of the City Center of Culture and Leisure named after N. G. Vasiliev, as well as students of Novgorod State University were responsible for interesting competitions for children and creative performances. "Friendship Day" became a celebration on the occasion of the completion of the improvement of this space. Dozens of young Novgorodians and their parents , as well as representatives of the administration and the Duma of Veliky Novgorod - all together sang along with the performers and enjoyed the performances of young talents.

The park won the selection of initiative projects to receive financial support at the expense of other inter-budget transfers from the regional budget. The competition was held for the first time this year. Galina MIKHEEVA, chairperson of the public council for the development of the park on Gzen, told how they managed to transform this park:

"Our main problem was the condition of the paths . We had to start somewhere, and in 2022 we decided to participate in the "Our Choice" practice. At that time, the cost of the sidewalk was estimated at 11 million rubles, which is not surprising for such a large public area. So we started with lighting. This year we participated in "Formation of a comfortable urban environment", but did not have enough votes. However, another opportunity arose - a competition of initiative projects within the framework of financing other inter-budget transfers. We received active support from residents and collected many signatures. As a result, the park has become a place of attraction: children play here, mothers with strollers walk and elderly people relax. This is an old building, and if there are playgrounds in the courtyards, they are very stingy. That is why many people come here."

The project to renovate the park, proposed by residents, won the initiative competition and received more than 13,000,000 rubles from the regional budget - this is a tax on the professional income of self-employed people registered in the region. This idea was implemented on the initiative of the acting governor of the Novgorod region, Alexander Dronov.

To participate in the competition, Novgorod residents collected more than 2,000 signatures in support of the idea of ​​modernizing the park on Gzen. The Chairman of the City Duma Konstantin Somov , deputies Vladimir Eremin and Olga Kalpinskaya actively helped the public and the department-center for work with the population "Central". According to them, after the improvement, the park became more comfortable and attractive for walks and recreation.

The holiday turned out to be truly family-oriented: adults and children sang along with the artists and danced in circles around the monument to Peter the Great , the children enthusiastically played board and wooden games. They also painted the asphalt, depicting animals, fairy-tale characters, flowers and stars on it.

"We brought crayons to draw with the children. We want the new asphalt to be remembered not just for its smoothness, but for its bright moments," said Anna BELOUSOVA, commander of the student teaching squad "Art".

The guests of the festival were welcomed by the city mayor Alexander ROZBAUM. He expressed gratitude to Alexander Dronov for the support of Novgorodians, as well as to all the city residents who made efforts to transform this territory:

"Many people remember the condition of this park and its paths. I remember it too, because I lived nearby as a child. Thanks to such small steps, this place is changing. It has been waiting for an update for a long time, and now it is pleasant to walk here, and for children to ride bicycles and scooters."

One of the guests of the festival, Natalia BURMAGINA, came to the park with her children and shared her impressions:

"Our family lives nearby, and we have voted several times to transform the park. The lanterns and benches are already there, the asphalt is of good quality. We would also like to see something for children here, for example, a small playground. It would also be nice to solve the issue of dog walking , so that owners clean up after their pets . This is important for the people who live here. "

The Novgorod resident has three children. The eldest daughter is 17 and already independent, and Natalia often walks in the park with her younger sons.

“I suggested taking a scooter for the holiday – now they ride it with pleasure,” our interlocutor added.

Gzen is a river that flows underground in a collector. Previously, trees capable of absorbing excess moisture were planted here, but, unfortunately, they did not survive. In the future, it is planned to plant similar plants to reduce soil moisture and get rid of puddles that form after heavy rains.

"We are considering the possibility of upgrading the drainage system. We managed to save a little during the project implementation, and we plan to use the remaining funds to eliminate the puddle that periodically appears at the end of the park, where the sidewalk to the Manezh runs. We met with representatives of the City Economy Department and discussed possible measures. If there are enough funds, we will begin work this year. In any case, we are not stopping and are looking for opportunities to participate in other projects to receive funding for further improvement. For example, the Our Choice program is now proposing to increase the allocation of funds. Next in line is the creation of a children's playground, which, I am sure, will please many parents and their children," concluded Galina Mikheeva.

Photo by the author

and Elena Nikitina