Citizens should have sports and cultural facilities within walking distance

Irkutsk, NIA-Baikal – During a report on the activities of the Irkutsk administration in 2023, Mayor Ruslan Bolotov spoke about the development of sports and culture in the city.

“It is important to create the necessary infrastructure in each district so that residents have sports, cultural, educational, and medical facilities within walking distance. It is my deep conviction that the development of territories should be comprehensive. We support the work of sections, open municipal courts, install sports grounds and workouts in courtyards, and build sports and recreation complexes. Just last year, 14 updated sports grounds and two skate parks appeared in the regional center. We are doing everything to ensure that the younger generation grows up healthy, so that they have the opportunity to reveal their talents in virtually all areas,” emphasized Mayor Ruslan Bolotov.

In 2023, the first municipal training skating rink with artificial ice, Irkutsk, opened its doors. Educational and training groups, teams from the city sports and methodological center, children’s and youth and secondary schools are trained at its base. The institution is attended by 630 children of different ages. There are free sections for bandy or puck hockey and figure skating.

After a major overhaul, the Vysota sports complex was opened in the Leninsky District. It provides training in Kyokushin, karate-do, sambo, universal combat, table tennis, basketball, mini-football, badminton, and volleyball. Veteran organizations will also be involved here.

The head of the regional center also noted that football is popular among Irkutsk preschool children. The Academy of Champions Center operates in 25 kindergartens. Every year, competitions are organized among students at the largest city stadium.

In addition, the design of an indoor training skating rink on Lenskaya Street, a sports and recreation center with a multi-purpose hall in the Topkinsky microdistrict, and a sports and recreation complex with swimming pools in the Zeleny microdistrict, on the outskirts of Radishchevo, on Shakhterskaya Street, continued.

The project of the sports and recreation center in the Lesnoy microdistrict received a positive conclusion from the state examination.

Last year, a significant event took place in the cultural sphere: the reconstruction of the building of the former Marat cinema, an architectural monument of the Soviet era, was completed. Now a cultural and leisure center has been opened here.

The project was actively promoted by City Duma deputy Yuri Korenev for several years. Thanks to the appeal of a concerned resident Lyudmila Baranova to President Vladimir Putin, we began to implement it. All levels of government got involved: the regional government, the Legislative Assembly. Funds were allocated from the regional and city budgets. During the work, engineering communications were completely modernized: from electricity to ventilation. The roof was replaced and the façade was updated. For the convenience of visitors, an elevator was installed.

The walls of “Marat” were decorated with paintings made by Irkutsk artists and teachers of art schools.

Residents of the area can attend vocal, dance and theater classes, a city library with a book collection of 77 thousand copies, and creative classes. An exhibition space was set up in the building’s lobby. The hall is equipped for almost 100 spectators, the press service of the mayor’s office reports.

“The institution is working at full capacity. There is all the necessary equipment, many rooms. We have already organized many interesting events. We plan to introduce new directions, including yoga and beadwork. People are happy to visit our CDC, which, in my opinion, has become the highlight of this area,” said Lyudmila Baranovskaya, director of the city creative club “Lyubimovka” and its branch in “Marat”.

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