Sienkevych stated that there would be no mass events to mark City Day in Mykolaiv: «The military are not banning them, but celebrating is not advisable»

No mass events involving large gatherings of people will be held in Mykolaiv this year to mark City Day, due to active shelling by Russian forces.

This was announced by the mayor, Oleksandr Sienkevych, on 7 September during a staff meeting, according to NikVesti.

According to him, the city had planned to hold a series of events to mark City Day, but after receiving information from the Ukrainian military, they decided to revise their plans.

«People’s safety is our priority. We are in constant contact with the military. They said that there can be no question of holding any events,» said Oleksandr Sienkevych.

The mayor noted that there is no direct ban on holding mass gatherings, but the city authorities do not want to put people’s lives at risk. He cited Odesa as an example, where large concerts and other events involving large crowds have also been cancelled this year.

He highlighted the threats posed by Russian drones, the majority of which are jet-powered. In addition, the mayor mentioned a recent attack on a critical infrastructure facility, during which the Russians used «Banderole» drones; the alarm regarding this threat was only raised after three explosions.

«They are launched from various locations, including the Kinburn Spit. The most recent attack on a critical infrastructure site using «Banderole»-type drones showed that they struck their target, and the alarm was only raised after the explosions. They were flying along the river at an altitude of no more than 2 metres. The detection systems were unable to identify them. They flew in and struck their target. That is why we cannot risk people’s lives for the sake of scoring political points,» said the mayor.

However, the mayor addressed the city services and instructed them to step up the cleaning and tidying of the city.

«We will hold a meeting regarding the City Day celebrations to adjust the plans for large-scale clean-up operations. But this does not mean that everyone should relax. We must all do our bit to clean up the city and get it ready. Businesses, institutions and organisations should fly not only the national flag but also the Mykolaiv flag. Flags will be displayed on public transport,» he said.

At the same time, the mayor also suggested that residents could organise small celebrations in their own courtyards, as was done in Odesa.

«We don’t have a culture of Odesa-style courtyard celebrations, but perhaps the time and circumstances are such that we need to start doing this too. This includes encouraging residents to organise such celebrations within their own courtyards,» suggested the mayor.

The authorities had been expecting possible changes following the talks that took place the day before, the mayor said, but the situation had not changed.

«Of course, we were hoping for positive outcomes from yesterday’s talks. But there have been no changes in the political or military situation,» said Oleksandr Sienkevych.

Although, in a recent comment to NikLife, Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych had said that the authorities would try to organise better celebrations than last year, taking into account security and the situation in the city.

It should be noted that in July, NikVesti completed an online survey on whether Mykolaiv should resume city festivals, cultural events and public life during the war. The majority of respondents believed that the city needs events in one form or another — but not as «pre-war celebrations», rather as safe, coordinated and restrained formats. The survey ran from 9 to 13 July on the NikVesti website. This is an independent initiative by the editorial team: it was not commissioned by the city authorities and does not constitute a vote on a specific decision by the city council. A total of 1,799 people completed the questionnaire.

The poll was prompted by a statement made by Mykolaiv’s mayor, Oleksandr Sienkevych, during a staff meeting on 6 July. At that time, the mayor suggested that the local media ask Mykolaiv residents whether they supported holding concerts and other events to mark City Day and whether they considered this to be safe. According to the mayor, residents had begun to contact the city authorities more frequently to ask whether City Day, a concert, a fair, a cycle ride or other events would take place this year.

How Mykolaiv celebrated City Day during the war

With the start of the full-scale invasion, Mykolaiv changed the format of its City Day celebrations. In 2022, due to constant shelling, mass events were cancelled entirely — the celebrations took place online, featuring video messages and the «Mykolaiv. There is Life» marathon.

In 2023, the city gradually resumed in-person events. A cycle ride took place on Cathedral Square in Mykolaiv to mark City Day and the Days of Denmark. A delegation from Denmark, led by Ole Egberg Mikkelsen, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Denmark to Ukraine, visited the city on that occasion.

In 2024, the celebrations also took place in person, but in the form of separate small-scale events. The city hosted a cycle ride, fairs, exhibitions and concerts.

On that day, there was also a cycle ride and the official opening of the Danish Solidarity Square.

And in 2025, Mykolaiv celebrated its 236th City Day at various locations, combining different formats — the start of a regatta and the opening of the Alley of Unbreakable Cities took place, and a ceremonial procession was held on the central Soborna Street. Although it had previously been stated that, for security reasons, the exact time and venues would not be announced. A French delegation, led by former French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, also attended the celebrations.

The traditional «Rotary Sails 2025» International Black Sea Regatta also took place. For the twelfth year running, the city has been hosting yachtsmen competing for the Rotary Cup.