The old boat station behind the Makarovsky Bridge in Yekaterinburg is undergoing restoration, with a pier already open for boats and SUPs. The project is led by the organizers of “Atmofest” and the UralSurf team.

This year, the new pier will be a key part of the “Atmofest” landscape art festival, scheduled from August 15 to 24. Festival director Yulia Sorokina shared details about the event’s new features and challenges.

“Atmofest” 2024 will feature art, sports, and a landscape food court. The food court aims to address last year’s limitations by offering a wider variety of dishes prepared specifically for the festival, including sorrel soup.

The Hermitage Ural and the Underground Museum will contribute expositions, with floral arrangements in lightboxes along Grazhdanskaya Street, 11, and metal sculptures from the Underground Museum. Landscaping remains a central element, with plans for a bioplateau to naturally purify water using marsh plants.

Vines will be planted to cover the stones along the shore, and arches will be installed as a photo zone. An exposition extending to the Makarovsky Bridge and a beach with sand will also be created.

A path on the water, which was not possible last year due to a lease to a Kazan company, remains unresolved despite ongoing negotiations. The organizers are hoping for intervention to cancel the lease and allow for the path’s construction in the future.

Regarding the plants from last year’s festival, the lindens have recovered after an initial setback due to transportation. While some spruces were lost and replanted, a new culture of dwarf birch survived the winter successfully.

Vandalism remains a concern, and the organizers are appealing to citizens to care for the area. The park’s maintenance costs around 300,000 rubles per month, with some companies donating fertilizers. The organizers are seeking community involvement in caring for the embankment.

The restoration of the boat station, which survived three fires, is planned according to century-old sketches, with a cafe or restaurant expected to open in 2026. The pier’s construction is the first phase of the project.