Yekaterinburg’s Mayor Cracks Down on Poor Road and Cleaning Standards

Fed up with crumbling streets, Yekaterinburg’s mayor slashes excuses and raises the stakes. Will stricter oversight finally deliver results?

, and Administrator

2025 December 11 . 1:20 PM

1 min read

In the image the land is covered with a lot of snow and there is a track and a vehicle is moving on... — In the image the land is covered with a lot of snow and there is a track and a vehicle is moving on the track,around the vehicle there are few poles and behind the poles, a collection of some objects are kept on the snow. In front of those objects there is a factory building.

Yekaterinburg’s Mayor Cracks Down on Poor Road and Cleaning Standards

Yekaterinburg has bolstered its maintenance budget by 600 million rubles to address persistent road and cleaning issues. Mayor Alexey Orlov has adopted a firm stance, cautioning district leaders they could lose their positions if standards deteriorate further. This action follows months of criticism regarding poorly maintained streets and sidewalks in the city.

The mayor's frustration reached a peak in late April when Deputy Mayor Alexey Bubnov, responsible for street cleaning, was dismissed. Weeks later, on May 16 and May 23, Orlov directly warned two district heads—Yury Morzov and Andrey Zhukov—about inadequate road paving and maintenance.

The budget increase and enhanced oversight indicate a concerted effort to resolve long-standing maintenance problems. With new protocols, higher wages, and recruitment drives, authorities aim to stabilize the workforce and enhance service quality. The mayor's warnings suggest district leaders will face closer inspection in the coming months.