St. Petersburg authorities are enforcing fines of up to 1,500 rubles for swimming in unauthorized areas. Officials from the St. Petersburg Ministry of Emergency Situations announced this during a press conference on June 3rd.

Only the 24 officially designated beaches are permitted for swimming and recreation. Viktor Kolesov, Chief State Inspector for Small Vessels of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of St. Petersburg, stated that swimming is prohibited in all other locations. Authorities conduct joint raids with the police, and representatives from the Committee on Legal Issues are authorized to bring offenders to justice.

The penalties for unauthorized swimming range from a warning to a fine of 1,500 rubles. A list of the 24 official beaches in St. Petersburg is available on the city government website.

Kolesov mentioned that the Ministry of Emergency Situations does not track the number of illegal recreation areas but monitors locations with large numbers of vacationers and potential swimmers where safety is a concern. These locations include the embankments along the Neva River, Krestovsky Island, and the 300th Anniversary Park.

Specifically addressing the 300th Anniversary Park, Kolesov noted that while it may become a beach in the future, it currently is not one. Water inspectors patrol the area, warning people that swimming is prohibited.

Kolesov also cautioned jet ski and small vessel operators against navigating in areas where people are swimming. It is strictly forbidden to operate vessels over swimmers or within buoy-marked beach areas. Violators may face administrative and criminal liability.