Sochi residents are seeking to have the landfill closed.

Under the windows of houses on Novoselov Street in Sochi, a container site has effectively become an unauthorized dump, inhabited by rats, and the odor prevents apartment windows from being opened. However, appeals to the authorities, including the presidential administration, have been unsuccessful.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," Sochi residents regularly complain about problems with garbage collection. In August 2025, Sochi residents complained that piles of garbage were piling up near their homes and not being removed for weeks. The regional solid waste management operator, commenting on the situation, cited a lack of container sites, careless residents, and an influx of vacationers. In January of this year, residents complained that trash on many streets had not been collected since December, leading to the formation of illegal dumps.

On April 15, residents of three apartment buildings at 9, 11, and 13 Novoselov Streets in Sochi, home to approximately 1,500 residents, filed a complaint with the prosecutor's office regarding the illegal dumping and the lack of response from authorities. Residents, whose homes are located practically in the city center, say they've been sending complaints to various authorities, including the presidential administration, for a year, but the problem remains unresolved.

Rats are running around during the day, and children are afraid to go outside.

Residents claim that the container site has effectively turned into an unauthorized dump. "Rats run around during the day, children are afraid to go out into the yard. The stench is so bad that it's impossible to open the windows—especially in the summer," said Tatyana Gorbatova, a resident of building no. 9.

"The containers are constantly overflowing, and the trash sits nearby for weeks. "This isn't a site anymore, it's a real dump," noted Sergey Kovalenko, a resident of building No. 11.

"We're afraid of infections. There are insects and rodents here. Children play nearby, and the sanitation is completely unsanitary," said Marina Goncharova, a resident of building No. 13.

According to another activist, Alexey Burtsev, the problem is exacerbated by the state of the access roads: "The access road to the site is destroyed, and special equipment can't get through properly. This is one of the reasons why the garbage isn't being removed on time," he believes.

Complaints—no result

Residents claim they've filed complaints with various authorities. "We've written everywhere—to the mayor's office, departments, the prosecutor's office. "We even contacted the Presidential Administration. But the situation hasn't changed," Burtsev said.

The latest response from Denis Sorokoletov, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Fuel and Energy and Housing and Public Utilities of the Krasnodar Territory, dated March 2026, stated that the container site is assigned to a municipal institution. "The site... is assigned... to the Municipal Institution 'Capital Repairs Department,'" the document states.

"The solid municipal waste from the specified container site and the surrounding area has been removed," the official noted. According to him, work is underway to... install fences... The planned deadline is 2026." According to local residents, these "deadlines have been pushed back for three years now."

The authorities refused the residents' demand to relocate the site.

"It is not possible to relocate...," stated the April response from the same ministry (a copy is available to "Caucasian Knot"), issued only by Vitaliy Skripnik, head of the Industrial and Consumption Waste Management Department.

Residents claim the situation remains the same.

"No one has removed anything completely. They tell us everything has been removed, but we see it every day—it's not true," says Kovalenko.

"They talk about monitoring, but we don't see it." "The landfill remains the same," Goncharova added.

The lawyer pointed out the administration's responsibility to eliminate the landfill.

Elena Pavlova, a lawyer specializing in housing and communal services issues, notes that "the officials' responses themselves actually indicate the distribution of responsibility—and reveal contradictions. According to Federal Law No. 89-FZ "On Production and Consumption Waste," the responsibility for creating and maintaining solid municipal waste collection sites lies with local governments.

She added that officials' response to residents stated that the site is assigned to a municipal institution (MKU "UKR"), waste removal is handled by the regional operator JSC "Krayzhilkomresurs," and transportation is handled by a contractor. This means that the municipality is responsible for the site's condition and infrastructure, the regional operator is responsible for timely waste removal, and the contractor is responsible for the actual waste collection logistics.

Authorities cite the fact that the site is located outside of residential property. However, this does not relieve the municipality of responsibility, since it is public land. It is the administration's responsibility to ensure the cleanliness of this area," explains lawyer Elena Pavlova.

The lawyer also notes that a similar situation with garbage heaps exists throughout Sochi. Many Sochi residents are filing complaints, but the responses they receive are all carbon copies. The responses cite violations by residents and police authority. "Consumers are prohibited from storing solid municipal waste outside of containers," officials state in their responses.

Such language does not absolve the authorities of their obligation to ensure a sufficient number of containers, regular collection, and favorable sanitary conditions for the site. Otherwise, responsibility cannot be fully placed on residents, the lawyer noted.

"The situation appears to be a typical conflict between official reporting and observed reality. On the one hand, the authorities claim waste removal, modernization plans, and compliance with regulations. On the other, residents report unsanitary conditions, the presence of rodents, a persistent odor, and problems with waste removal." Given current legislation, responsibility for addressing the problem lies primarily with municipal authorities and the agencies they employ," Pavlova stated.

She recommends that residents, emphasizing the authorities' responsibilities to ensure order and improve the area, seek a response from the prosecutor's office and conduct inspections. The lawyer believes that in this way, the authorities are demonstrating their incompetence and inability to even bring order to the housing and utilities sector's waste management. Residents provided the "Caucasian Knot" with photographic evidence taken on April 14 and 15.