Yekaterinburg's spring cleanup unites volunteers and Muslim community leaders

Spring Cleanup: Yekaterinburg Muslims Lead Community Effort in Oktyabrsky District

As warm spring days arrive in Yekaterinburg, local residents have begun cleaning up courtyards across the city. As in years past, Muslim community members have taken an active role in the initiative. On the eve of the cleanup, volunteers organized by the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Sverdlovsk Oblast (Central Muftiate) tidied up the courtyard at 219 Bazov Street in the Oktyabrsky District.

"We invited everyone willing to join our community cleanup," said Abdul-Kudus Asharin, head of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Sverdlovsk Oblast. "People of all ages—concerned citizens—brought everything they needed: bags, brooms, gloves. They cleared away the trash left behind after the snowmelt, both inside the courtyard and along Bazov, Dekabristov, Michurin, and Tveritin streets. These events are deeply meaningful to us. We want residents to see that Muslims also care about keeping our city clean."

This cleanup is just the beginning. A larger effort is planned for April, once the snow has fully melted and the ground has dried. Organizers expect even more volunteers to take part.

The Oktyabrsky District Administration has collaborated with the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Sverdlovsk Oblast and the Muftiate for several years. "We live side by side as good neighbors, working together on worthwhile projects," said Oksana Morozova, deputy head of the Oktyabrsky District Administration. "Every spring and fall, cleanups take place across the district—not just on Bazov Street—and we also organize joint celebrations. This latest effort was, so to speak, the 'first swallow' of the season. As both a district official and a resident of the building that was cleaned, I can say it's now much tidier. I want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone involved."

Earlier, Oblastnaya Gazeta reported that residents of Verkhnyaya Pyshma were proposing ideas to improve one of the city's main avenues.