A grim sight at the playground: residents of Mykolaiv are calling for the children’s playground in the Korabelnyi district to be refurbished

Children’s playground at 32–34 Okeanivska Street. Photo: NikVesti

In the Korabelnyi district, at 32-34 Okeanivska Street, there is a children’s playground in need of repair. Local residents describe it as derelict, as it has not been maintained for a long time and rubbish has not been cleared from the site.

The appeal was published in the Contact Centre group on the Mykolaiv City Council page by Olena Fadieieva.

The resident asked for the area to be tidied up. In a comment to NikVesti, she clarified that the so-called children’s playground has been neglected for a long time.

«It’s a dreadful sight. Drunks are often lying around. The bottoms have fallen out of all the bins,» noted Olena Fadieieva.

The play equipment and swings in the children’s playground need to be updated. Photo: NikVesti

The play equipment and swings in the children’s playground need to be updated. Photo: NikVesti

The play equipment and swings in the children’s playground need to be updated. Photo: NikVesti

NikVesti visited the children’s playground. It features both structures from past decades and more modern ones, though these are also in poor condition. Furthermore, the playground has structures with mosaic work, which also needs updating.

Mosaic structures in the children’s playground. Photo: NikVesti

Mosaic structures in the children’s playground. Photo: NikVesti

Mosaic structures in the children’s playground. Photo: NikVesti

But there is another problem — uncut grass and litter. The bottoms of the bins are broken, so there are lots of bottles, tins, cigarette packets and empty medicine bottles, particularly near the benches.

Rubbish and uncut grass on the playground. Photo: NikVesti

Rubbish and uncut grass on the playground. Photo: NikVesti

Rubbish and uncut grass on the site. Photo: NikVesti

In response to a query from NikVesti, «DEZ Pilot», which is responsible for the site at 32–34 Okeanivskа Street, stated that it is included in the list of works for routine maintenance in 2026.

«According to information from the municipal enterprise «DEZ Pilot», 71 million hryvnias have been allocated in the city budget for 2026 to cover the operational needs of the municipal enterprise «DEZ Pilot», of which 25.5 million is earmarked for the routine maintenance of the city’s playgrounds and sports grounds. This year’s maintenance plans include 150 playgrounds,» DEZ «Pilot» reported.

However, the company noted that the list of works may change due to requests from citizens and heads of district administrations.

The company’s director, Ihor Holovatyi, clarified in a comment to NikVesti that work in this children’s playground has already begun.

The municipal enterprise «Mykolaiv Parks» responded to questions regarding grass cutting and rubbish collection, stating that work to maintain proper sanitary conditions in the areas surrounding residential buildings, including playgrounds, must be carried out either by housing and communal services (HCS), homeowners’ associations (HOAs), or district administrations.

Children’s playground at 32–34 Okeanivska Street. Photo: NikVesti

Children’s playground at 32–34 Okeanivska Street. Photo: NikVesti

Children’s playground at 32–34 Okeanivska Street. Photo: NikVesti

Children’s playground at 32–34 Okeanivska Street. Photo: NikVesti

Children’s playground at 32–34 Okeanivska Street. Photo: NikVesti

Children’s playground at 32–34 Okeanivska Street. Photo: NikVesti

Children’s playground at 32–34 Okeanivska Street. Photo: NikVesti

Children’s playground at 32–34 Okeanivska Street. Photo: NikVesti

Children’s playground at 32-34 Okeanivska Street. Photo: NikVesti

As a reminder, residents of Mykolaiv are complaining about overgrown grass in the areas around their homes and on playgrounds in various parts of the city. Residents are asking the council to mow the weeds, clear away rubbish and tidy up the courtyards.

It was also reported that there are many nine-storey blocks around the playground at 20 Kolodiazna Street. That is why people from the surrounding estates come there to walk with their children. But, as locals have said, the playground has been in a poor state for a long time: the paint was faded, the benches were broken, the maze was covered in graffiti, and the boards had sharp, broken edges.

The playground has now been refurbished.