The Chita mayor’s office has confirmed that a contractor will be removing sawn branches from the embankment along Malaya Street, following complaints from residents about obstruction and lack of safety measures. The pruning work was approved under a contract aimed at protecting hydraulic structures.

A local resident expressed concern over the debris, citing difficulties navigating the area with a stroller due to the scattered branches and the absence of warning signs or fencing.

The removal of the branches comes as plans are underway to improve the 15.6-kilometer embankment, with a project slated for development by the end of October 2025. The project aims to create recreation areas, improve the coastline, and enable the construction of facilities with network connections.

The contract for the embankment’s improvement also mandates that the contractor involve local residents, landowners, professional communities, and urban activists in the planning process.

The embankment is part of Chita’s development master plan, approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin in the spring of 2023, which also includes the ZabSU campus and the archery center.

A section of the embankment will be integrated into the “Far Eastern Quarter” program, which aims to construct 238,000 square meters of housing on over 36.7 hectares by 2033. An agreement for this construction has been signed with the Samolet group of companies, with SZ Project-S-47, founded by Samolet-Regions LLC, chosen as the developer.

Neon, an architectural firm known for its work on public spaces in Moscow, including embankments and the Patriarch’s Ponds, will contribute to the project.

Architects Ivan Korenkov and Victoria Gerasimova have discussed the ongoing work and the input received from Chita residents.