Residents of Mykolaiv have complained about overflowing bins on the shore of Namyv neighbourhood: «The beach has turned into a rubbish dump»
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- Alona KokhanchukReporter
The beach in Namyv was turning into a rubbish dump because there were too few bins. Photo courtesy of the Mykolaiv City Council Contact CentreResidents of Mykolaiv have complained about overflowing bins on the beach in Namyv neighbourhood. As there are not enough bins, rubbish has started to scatter around. The municipal enterprise «Mykolaiv Parks» responded to the complaints and installed one additional bin.
A local resident, Oleksii Bychkovskyi, reported the problem to the Contact Centre at Mykolaiv City Council.
According to him, the bins on the beach opposite the building at 52A Lazurna Street are too small and cannot cope with the amount of rubbish left by holidaymakers.
«The bins installed are too small — there aren’t enough of them to hold all the rubbish left by holidaymakers. They either need to be replaced with larger ones or emptied more frequently. In this case, it’s clear that people want to behave properly — they don’t just throw rubbish anywhere, but take it to the bins; however, the beach isn’t equipped with enough bins. The result is that the beach has turned into a rubbish dump. In summer, this is one of the city dwellers’ favourite places to relax, and it’s not a pretty sight,» he wrote.
The beach in Namyv has turned into a rubbish dump because of the small bins. Photo from the Contact Centre at Mykolaiv City Council
The beach in Namyv has turned into a rubbish dump due to the small bins. Photo courtesy of the Contact Centre at Mykolaiv City CouncilThe man suggested replacing the existing bins with larger ones or increasing the frequency of cleaning, as this area is one of the most popular leisure spots for Mykolaiv residents in the summer.
The municipal enterprise «Mykolaiv Parks» responded to the complaint. They reported that an additional, larger-capacity bin had already been installed on the beach.
Response to the complaint from the ‘Mykolaiv Parks’ municipal enterprise. Screenshot from the Mykolaiv City Council Contact Centre page
Response to the complaint from the ‘Mykolaiv Parks’ municipal enterprise. Screenshot from the Mykolaiv City Council’s Contact Centre pageBan on swimming at beaches in Mykolaiv
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, a ban on swimming and the operation of official public water recreation areas has been in force in Mykolaiv. It was introduced by Decision No. 348 of the Executive Committee dated 2 June 2022.
Despite this, on hot days, residents continue to relax and swim in the river in Namyv, near the Varvarivskyi Bridge, at Strilka, Chaika and other sections of the coastline. Reporters from NikVesti have repeatedly noted that these places have effectively become informal beaches.
Previously, the Mykolaiv City Council explained that, due to the ban, the city is not carrying out its traditional preparations for the beach season: it is not designating official swimming areas, not developing the sites, not opening lifeguard stations and not organising infrastructure for water-based recreation.
The issue of water safety has once again come to the fore following two tragedies. On 10 June 2026, a 17-year-old boy drowned in Namyv after jumping into the water from the jetty. Divers found his body approximately 30 metres from the shore. On 29 June, another fatal water-related tragedy occurred in Mykolaiv — an 18-year-old boy died.
Subsequently, in response to a freedom of information request, the executive committee of Mykolaiv City Council explained that it had not designated any safe swimming areas this year due to the risks posed by the war.
At the same time, the city council noted that the executive authorities continue to implement safety measures at water bodies: they are inspecting coastal areas, installing warning signs and carrying out public awareness campaigns.
This material was produced within the REACH – Media Partnerships for Accountability and Trust project, implemented by International Media Support (IMS) and supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. The content reflects the views of the authors and not necessarily those of the Danish government. Denmark’s support strengthens civil society and independent media in Ukraine, including in Mykolaiv.