Two female members of the Kyiv City Council spoke out against the cutting down of oak trees in Teremky
The situation surrounding the construction of a main heating pipeline through Teremky Park is gaining increasing attention.
Kyiv City Council members Viktoria Ptashnik and Alina Mikhailova have publicly voiced their support for local residents who oppose the cutting down of hundreds of trees.
Viktoria Ptashnik emphasized that after speaking with activists, she did not find anyone among them who opposed the construction of the heating network. According to her, people are not opposed to the project itself, but rather to the destruction of the park, as 662 trees—including 120-year-old oaks—could be cut down.
The councilwoman also stated that the documents she reviewed indicate that as recently as 2023, the district heating network was planned to follow a different route. She noted that the route was changed a few months ago, and the circumstances surrounding this decision require further clarification.
“I’ve spoken with many activists, and no one is opposed to the construction of the heating network. However, everyone wants to protect the park because trees that have been growing for decades cannot be easily replaced. There is another route for the heating network, and the trees can be saved,” Ptaschnik noted.
For her part, Alina Mikhailova sharply criticized the city authorities’ actions, stating that the Kyiv City State Administration and the Holosiivskyi District State Administration should not be in conflict with the community but should seek a compromise.
“The city must learn not to fight with its residents, but to listen to them. Because a strong city isn’t about fences, manipulation, or forcing through decisions by force. A strong city begins with respect for people, a willingness to engage in open dialogue, and a search for solutions that do not force Kyiv residents to make an artificial choice—nature or comfort, trees or heat,” Mikhailova said.
In Kyiv’s Holosiivskyi district, activists protested the felling of trees in a park due to the construction of a new branch of the district heating network. Clashes broke out between protesters and law enforcement officers during the protests. Information about the incident is spreading on social media.
We previously reported that bus routes in Kyiv were changed following a nighttime attack by Russia.
