Trash on graves after memorial days: Sienkevych outraged by the condition of cemeteries
A cynical scene was seen in Mykolaiv after the memorial days
City mayor of Mykolaiv Oleksandr Senkevych during the staff meeting on May 11, 2026 commented on the state of the city’s cemeteries after the memorial days. He spoke about cleaning the areas, the trash left by visitors, and also about the new columbarium at the Central City Cemetery. According to the head of the municipal enterprise “Mykolaiv Ritual Service” Serhii Vaseleha, after the memorial days the cemeteries were cleaned and the trash was removed. He also noted that special nets were installed at each cemetery where people can put unwanted items.
During the meeting Oleksandr Senkevych asked the head of the ritual service whether the cemeteries had been cleaned of what people brought there during the memorial days.
“After the memorial days, did you clean the cemeteries of what people brought there?” — asked Oleksandr Senkevych.
Serhii Vaseleha replied that the cleaning had been carried out and the trash removed.
“We cleaned up, we hauled it away,” — said Serhii Vaseleha.
After that, the mayor expressed indignation at the behavior of some cemetery visitors. According to him, he was sent photos showing people leaving trash directly on neighboring graves.
“Some people here simply amaze with their cynicism. I was sent photos where people create dumps on other people’s graves. That is, they just dump: they tear up the grass at their own place — and throw it onto someone else’s neighboring grave. This is such cynicism and low culture. It’s not widespread, but there are isolated cases”, — added Senkevych.
The head of the municipal enterprise “Mykolaiv Ritual Service” noted that there are collection points for trash at the cemeteries, but some people do not use them.
“We installed nets at each cemetery where people can bring their trash. But they do not do this,” — noted Serhii Vaseleha.
Separately during the meeting they discussed the condition of the road surface at the city cemeteries. Deputy mayor Yurii Andrienko reported that critical sections are planned to be filled in by the ritual service and the Road Maintenance Unit “Avtodorih”.
It also became known that a columbarium was put into operation on the territory of the Central City Cemetery in Mykolaiv. According to Serhii Vaseleha, the compartments were made larger so that families could place not one, but two urns there. Oleksandr Senkevych called this approach modern and progressive.
Previously, we wrote:
- The European approach has reached cemeteries too: a columbarium was opened in Mykolaiv for 2.7 million UAH
- At Balabanivske Cemetery, uniform monuments for fallen defenders will be installed: the procurement procedure is ongoing
- So you don’t have to walk: traffic is changed in Balabanivka during memorial days
- Deputies agreed: the director confirmed the reclamation of a cemetery in Mykolaiv
- “No one monitors or cleans it” — Mykolaiv residents complain about the state of Balabanivske Cemetery
