Rostov is calling for help: people are trying to save the Kumzhenskaya Grove from destruction.

With their last strength, the residents of various regions are trying to protect the remaining refuges of wildlife. But just as ecosystems are being torn to shreds, people too are in a fragmented state — a shattered mosaic — forced to face disaster one on one. This is our greatest vulnerability! People are divided, many live by the principle “my house is on the edge,” and they start acting only when disaster has already crossed the threshold of their own home.

And this is what we must fight against first of all! We must help those who are now struggling to defend nature’s right to Life. Those who are crying out for help. Not a single voice should dissolve in emptiness and indifference — and then, next time, if disaster comes to your door, thousands, perhaps even millions of voices of allies will respond from all corners of the country.

So, we have a new threat! I received an appeal from residents of the Rostov region. A danger now hangs over the Kumzhenskaya Grove — one of the largest green areas of Rostov-on-Don. This eco-park is located at the confluence of the Don and Mertvy Donets rivers, and at its center lies the memorial complex “Kumzhenskaya Grove” — a monument to the soldiers who died defending and liberating Rostov in 1941 and 1943.

For the people of Rostov, the grove has a triple value: it is a vital green shield of the city, a place of military glory, and a historic territory. No wonder it is called “the green heart of the city.” Moreover, rare species can be found here — for example, the lichen Parmelina tiliacea, listed in the Red Book.

It might seem like a small, local problem. One could shrug and say, “let them handle it themselves” — but exactly the same thing is happening all over the country right now. The authorities are actively cutting the remnants of wild nature into even smaller fragments, justifying it by the need for economic growth.

Just like Losiny Ostrov National Park in Moscow — which officials want to carve apart with a massive highway — the Kumzhenskaya Grove is now planned to be cut through by a motorway. The “Western Chord” highway is to pass directly through the forest park.

Naturally, people stood up against it — they launched a petition, trying to defend the forest’s right to Life. The authorities, in turn, insist that the road is necessary, as it forms part of a transport ring around Rostov-on-Don and is meant to ease traffic congestion. The first section of the chord was opened in autumn 2024, and now the second stage is planned — about 12 kilometers long.

The cost of the project is very telling, as it reveals the true motives. As a rule, highway construction is one of the main ways to “absorb” public funds. The cost of the road through the Kumzhenskaya Grove is estimated at 30 billion rubles.

And, of course, as our regional officials love to do, such projects attract state financing — the governor of the region, Yuri Slyusar, appealed to the president for federal funding. Why do I mention this? Because it’s the classic scheme for budget siphoning. Building roads is extremely expensive, and then for years comes costly maintenance — where and how much “leaks” into bureaucratic pockets through inflated prices for works and materials, no one will ever know.

Just like resort construction — which destroys wild nature — highways are a “golden topic” because of their huge budgets.

Initially, according to the master plan, the road was supposed to run through an industrial area on the outskirts, where residents were resettled back in the 1980s for the future highway. However, in 2021 the authorities changed the plan — moving the route directly into the Kumzhenskaya Grove. Naturally, officials justified this as “economically reasonable.” According to documents, about 16,000 square meters of trees — around 1.6 hectares of old forest — must be cut down for the road.

People are asking: “And what about wild animals? The Red Book species? Are we just going to destroy them because a multibillion-ruble highway suddenly became urgent?” This grove, among other things, is an extremely valuable local ecosystem of the Don floodplain. So the forest will be isolated! Nature already has almost nowhere left to hide from humans — and now even this refuge is to be torn apart?

Local residents tried all possible ways to influence the situation. For example, in winter 2024 more than 80 people filed a collective lawsuit demanding the cancellation of the master plan amendments allowing tree cutting. Among the plaintiffs were ecologists, historians, and landowners whose plots fall within the road zone. They pointed out that the amendments were adopted without proper public hearings and violate environmental norms. In April 2025, the Rostov Regional Court rejected the lawsuit entirely on formal grounds — a decision that angered residents who had collected thousands of signatures against the project.

Later, in spring and autumn 2025, the defenders of the grove moved on to new actions. They engaged the media, sent mass appeals to the President of Russia, and wrote to every possible institution! In their letters, Rostov residents demanded protection of their right to environmental safety and an end to the mindless destruction of the ancient forest.

Activists reminded that the road was originally planned through the industrial zone and accused “commercial interests” of illegally pushing the route through the forest against common sense. In early September, eco-activists held a flash mob in the grove: people hugged trees, joining hands in a “living chain” along the forest edge. They attached signs reading “Don’t cut” to the trunks and chanted calls for an alternative route. Even children participated, showing how deeply this place matters to citizens.

In October, a more resonant episode occurred: an activist staged a solo picket near the regional government building with a poster reading “No to the Western Chord!” Police detained her for an “unauthorized action,” even though a single-person protest requires no approval. This incident drew public attention and only increased awareness of the conflict.

As of early November 2025, construction has not yet begun, and machinery has not entered the grove. But people are writing to me, saying that the destruction could start any moment — and they are asking for our help, allies! The head of the Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, has also intervened, ordering a review of the project’s legality and compliance with the law. Yet, as I have written before, while law-enforcement agencies often take a sound position, they are quickly “reined in,” deprived of real mechanisms to influence the lobbying groups within the government.

Allies!

We must support our people who are trying to protect the “green heart” of their city! Right now, public resonance plays a colossal role. Help raise awareness and tell others what is happening.

On our part, we will also prepare official requests to state authorities and try to influence the situation in every possible way — as soon as possible! And if the defenders of the grove need any help, we are ready to provide support at any moment.

Do not give up! Fight for Life!

© PAVEL PASHKOV