I.Metshin: “Engaging residents to the yard improvement allow obtaining a completely different result”

In the Kirovsky district of Kazan, the improvement of yards at 35 and 37 Yagodinskaya Street has been completed. In 2022, this is the first yard where a complex of works was completed: sports and playgrounds, as well as a recreation area replaced the garages, bright graffiti decorated the front of houses, and the entrances were renovated. Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, congratulated the residents of the houses on the completion of the work carried out under the Our Yard republican program.

“We are improving not only densely populated residential areas, but also the yards of small houses like this one. About 300 Kazan residents live here, who have already seen improvements. Now a completely different climate has been created in the yard, and the mood of the residents has changed significantly”, - the head of the city said.

Apartment houses No. 35 and 37 on Yagodinskaya Street were built in the early 1970s. The renovation of the house territory became a long-awaited event for residents, since before the yard was completely empty, and for walking with children, residents had to go to the playgrounds of neighboring houses.

The improvement of the yard began in May 2022. There were seven garages in the center of the yard, two of which were legal. The garage owners agreed to their demolition for the sake of landscaping. “Engaging residents to the yard improvement allow obtaining a completely different result when a special atmosphere is being created in the yard”, - Ilsur Metshin stressed and thanked the garage owners for their responsiveness.

In a short period, several landscaped areas were equipped in the yard – sports, children and public. Swings, slides, sandboxes, workout equipment were set on the playgrounds, and benches were installed in the yard. All changes were discussed with the residents of the houses. In addition, 14 additional parking places have been provided, and a container site for waste collection has been renovated.

The designers of the yard improvement project tried to reflect the history of this territory in graffiti. Nikita Markin, an artist from Kazan, refreshed a drawing on the wall of house No. 35, where children are depicted playing among flowers and berries. The artist also decorated the heating station with drawings and graffiti with the image of berries on the front of houses. “For more than two weeks of work here, we received only positive feedback and words of gratitude”, - the artist said.

“We visited the yard after the celebration of the millennium of Kazan. Then I could not imagine that there would be a program allowing changing the city in such a way, - Ilsur Metshin noted. – I want to thank Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov for the Our Yard program”.

Along with landscaping of the yard, the reconstruction of entrance groups, painting of balconies and repair of the first floors of houses took place. The Mayor of Kazan highly appreciated the results of the work: “Even not all new residential buildings have this infrastructure”.

In addition, artificial intelligence-powered cameras were installed in the yard. They are connected to a special system, which can recognize a fire or accumulation of garbage. “This is a pilot project. We continue to develop it”, - Sergei Mironov told the Mayor.

This year, 266 yards of 466 houses will be improved in Kazan. Currently, the program has been completed by 79%.