Sienkevych promised to solve the issue of broken tiles in the pool «Zoria»: «We will repair it all»

Mykolaiv Mayor Oleksandr Senkevych in the pool of the sports complex «Zoria», archive photo NikVesti

The mayor of Mykolaiv, Oleksandr Sienkevych, has promised to resolve the issue of broken tiles in the swimming pool of the Zoria sports complex, which recently injured a child during training.

The mayor said this in a comment to NikVesti.

During the opening of the swimming pool at the «Zoria» sports complex, Oleksandr Sienkevych expressed his satisfaction with the repairs and added that he would personally use the pool.

«I plan to go to the pool on a paid basis. I won't say when, but I plan to,» said the mayor at the opening of the renovated pool.

Mayor of Mykolaiv Oleksandr Sienkevych checks the condition of the swimming pool at the sports complex «Zoria» before its opening after renovation, May 2023, photo NikVesti

The correspondent of NikVesti asked whether the mayor visits the municipal swimming pool two years after its opening.

«During the opening of the pool «Zoria» you said that you would visit the pool from time to time. Do you go there now?» asked journalist Alisa Melik-Adamian.

«At first I went for a couple of months, but now I don't have time. The last time I was there was two months after the pool was put into operation,» answered Oleksandr Sienkevych.

Hello! I am Alisa Melikadamian, the author of this article.

Thank you for your attention to our texts — it means a lot to the NikVesti team.

We regularly publish in-depth materials for those who want to understand the topic and get to the heart of the matter.

We have dozens of examples when our journalism, together with our readers, has influenced situations and changed them.

Join the NikVesti Readers’ Club — support independent journalism that matters.

Support us by joining the NikVesti Club

After that, the correspondent told the mayor about a recent incident in which a child was injured in a communal pool.

«We have been approached by residents of Mykolaiv. They complain about the current state of the pool: they say that tiles have broken off, which is why children are periodically injured there. For example, yesterday we were sent a photo of a child injuring his arm, with a rather deep wound,» the correspondent said.

«Did they appeal to the management? How did the management react? Or did they go straight to the newspaper?» asked the mayor.

The state of the tiles in the pool of the sports complex «Zoria», photo provided by visitors to NikVesti

The mayor was outraged that the journalists had addressed the issue of the poor state of the pool to him, and not to the new management of the sports complex.

«The tiles in the pool have fallen off and you are addressing the mayor,» asked Oleksandr Sienkevych.

«We are interested in your opinion,» explained the correspondent.

«Have you thought about contacting the director of this institution?» the mayor clarified.

«Is there already a director there?» the journalist asked, since there was no official information on the election of a new director of the municipal swimming pool in official sources.

«Do you not follow the news on your website? A competition was held and a director was appointed. What is his surname? I can't be responsible for the tiles. I will forward this question to the director, ask him if he knows that the tiles have fallen off, cockroaches have been poisoned, and so on,» said Sienkevych.

In the end, the mayor said he would call the new director of the «Zoria» sports complex and find out the details of the situation.

«I'm going to find out what's going on there, call the director of this facility, find out what the problems are and why they don't respond to such requests. In general, let's check it out. There should be a book of complaints, just like in any other institution, and this complaint should be there. Right? Even if it's in an anonymous format, it should be there. And now we will check whether there is such a complaint and why they do not respond. In any case, it is wrong, we will look into it and repair it all,» said the mayor.

The state of the tiles in the swimming pool of the sports complex «Zoria», photo provided by visitors to NikVesti

When asked how the mayor assesses the state of the municipal swimming pool today, Oleksandr Sienkevych said that «it requires large investments».

«The Capital Construction Department is currently developing project documentation. The facility was handed over to us before the war by the «Zoria-Mashproekt». Of course, today we have to invest a large part of the funds we do not have. That is why we are going to repair it slowly: in the near future, we will repair the sports halls, the hall, all the training halls, and so on,» said Oleksandr Sienkevych.

Renovation of the sports complex «Zoria»

Advertising

In May 2023, the first swim took place in the renovated pool of the «Zoria» sports complex in Mykolaiv.

Before that, the pool was inspected by Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych. He said that the reconstruction of the sports complex is being carried out in two stages. The first stage involved the repair of the swimming pool bowl, locker rooms and other technical facilities that will ensure the operation of the pool. The second stage, which is still ongoing, involves repairing the gymnasium, locker rooms, building insulation and other works.

The process of transferring «Zoria» to the city's ownership began in August 2018. Two years later, in March 2020, the sports complex was transferred to the municipal ownership of Mykolaiv. At the same time, the state-owned enterprise «Ukroboronprom» compensated the city with 5 million hryvniasfor the repair of «Zoria».

Renovated municipal swimming pool of the sports complex «Zoria», August 2024, photo NikVesti

After the transfer of the sports complex, Oleksandr Sienkevych promised to launch the pool «Zoria» in autumn 2020. However, the work was delayed. In the autumn of 2021, the Capital Construction Department of the City Council announced a tender for the overhaul and restoration of the «Zoria» sports complex with an expected cost of 94 million 915 thousand 520 hryvnias.

In December 2021, Vice Mayor Vitalii Lukov said that the reconstruction of the «Zoria» sports complex would be completed no earlier than the second half of 2022. Later, during the reconstruction of the swimming pool at the «Zoria» sports complex, 7 cracks were found in the facility's bowl.

Subsequently, the mayor of Mykolaiv, Oleksandr Sienkevych, announced the launch of the «Zoria» sports complex in February 2022. Due to the outbreak of a full-scale war, the completion of the work and the launch of the pool was postponed again.