“They’re just children!”: Alcohol, swearing, and litter sparked an uproar among Mykolaiv residents

A heated discussion broke out in the Facebook group “Korabelov.info” over teenagers’ behavior in the courtyards of Mykolaiv. Residents complain about drinking alcohol, smoking in playgrounds, littering, making noise in apartment building entrances, and insulting people who ask them to stop. Comments also included reports from the Korabelnyi district, where, according to a local resident, young people are trying to enter a shelter through a ventilation shaft and damaging its grilles.

At the same time, the discussion proved divisive. Some residents are calling for police intervention and parental accountability, while others defend young people’s right to spend time in courtyards. One young man who identified himself as a member of the group accused adults of making threats and using physical aggression.

An appeal to parents: alcohol, cigarettes, and Russian songs with profanity

The discussion began with a post by Iryna Ts., who asked parents to pay attention to their children’s behavior. According to her, teenagers come to a playground in someone else’s courtyard, drink alcohol, smoke, leave litter, run around the entrance, make noise, and sing Russian songs containing profanity.

The author of the post claims that the young people respond rudely when adults ask them to stop. She emphasized that the grounds around an apartment building should remain a place where families can relax peacefully and small children can play.

Iryna Ts. urged parents to explain the rules of behavior in public spaces to their teenagers.

“Dear parents, please talk to your children! Explain to them that freedom does not mean anything goes, and respect for others begins with your own behavior. Raising children is not just about words, but also about taking responsibility for their actions.”

She also stressed that no one is denying young people the right to meet friends, socialize, and relax. In her view, however, this should not involve alcohol, smoking, littering, profanity, or aggression.

The post did not specify the exact address of the courtyard.

Residents in Korabelnyi complain about teenagers trying to get into a shelter

A particularly troubling report was posted by Tetiana S., a resident of the Korabelnyi district. According to her, three teenagers have been causing problems for residents of her building for a long time. She claims they are trying to enter the shelter through a ventilation shaft, breaking its grilles and ignoring requests to stop. She is also unhappy with the police response.

Tetiana S. described the situation in her courtyard:

“I agree—not children, but a rabble. And the police response is zero! In Korabelnyi, three ‘heroes’ have been terrorizing our building for a long time. They’re trying to get into the shelter through the ventilation shaft. They’re breaking the grilles to get in. When asked to stop, they respond rudely. The children are left unsupervised by their parents, hanging around courtyards all day and smashing everything they see 😡”

The woman believes parents should be held financially liable for property damage and teenagers should be assigned community service.

However, there is currently no independent confirmation of the reports about damage to the shelter grilles or police inaction.

Not just Korabelnyi: complaints from Liski, Namyv, and YUTZ

Comments revealed that residents of other districts of Mykolaiv are also unhappy about similar problems.

Alla F. reported that in Liski, noise from a playground makes it impossible for people to relax even in their own apartments with the windows closed. According to her, some parents sit on benches and do not respond to their children’s behavior.

Nina A. noted that a similar situation can be seen in YUTZ.

One commenter said that similar problems had also arisen in Namyv, but the police did come when called.

Iryna A. replied that groups of teenagers still gather every day on the promenade opposite “Tavria.”

Other participants in the discussion mentioned noise on public transport, profanity, and instances of young people refusing to give up their seats to older passengers.

Do the police respond or ignore calls?

The question of whether contacting the police would help sparked a separate argument.

Vira M. advised residents to call the police, believing that talking to parents was ineffective.

“Call the police, because trying to reason with parents is a thankless task.”

Alla F., however, doubted that law enforcement would respond to such reports.

“The police don’t come out for something like this.”

Other participants disagreed. In particular, Tetiana Ch. said that, in her experience, police officers do come.

“I don’t know, they always come.”

Vira M. also gave the example of School No. 19, where, according to her, officers came and called the teenagers’ parents.

Meanwhile, commenter Valerii V. described a different dispute with young people. According to him, residents paid to renovate the grounds around their building, replace damaged asphalt, and install benches near the entrances. Now teenagers from other buildings gather there regularly, ride bicycles and scooters, make noise, and respond rudely when asked to stop.

The man claims that when the police were called, they told residents that teenagers have the right to ride bicycles and scooters on the grounds around the building.

According to him, residents have to put up with the noise both during the day and late in the evening.

“Where are young people supposed to hang out?”: some also defend the teenagers

However, not all commenters agreed with the adults’ complaints.

User Dmytro V. pointed out that previous generations also used to gather in courtyards, sit on benches, and spend time in large groups. He asked where young people today are even allowed to hang out.

“So what are they doing wrong??? It’s a playground, that’s right, but aren’t they kids too?”

Antonina H. agreed that children have the right to play outside. She also reminded parents of young children that in 10 years, their own sons and daughters will be teenagers too.

At the same time, commenter Svitlana L. noted that the right to relax does not mean being allowed to litter or use profanity.

“Dmytro Viktorovych, let them hang out. But no swearing or littering ☝️ They need to know the rules of conduct.”

Kateryna I., who is raising two teenagers, drew attention to peer pressure. According to her, even children whose parents put a lot of effort into raising them try to look cool and fit in with their group.

A teenager responds to adults: accusations may be one-sided

Vitalii Ya., who identified himself as a member of the same group of teenagers, also joined the discussion.

The young man questioned whether the accusations were one-sided. According to his account, adult residents of the building also drink alcohol near the entrance, and some behave aggressively toward minors.

He claims that one man allegedly threatened to beat up a boy over litter left by other people, while the man’s wife grabbed a minor girl by the hair during a verbal argument. The commenter also alleged that some adult residents of the entrance might be using drugs.

In his comment, the group member emphasized that he does not consider himself a troublemaker.

“Of course, it’s very easy to say that we teenagers are bad, but no one ever says anything about themselves. I’m personally part of this same group, and I can say for myself that I behave appropriately.”

Another commenter expressed a similar view, saying she had personally witnessed inappropriate behavior by adults and urging people not to blame all children indiscriminately.

The teenager’s allegations about threats, physical aggression, and drugs have also not been independently confirmed.

The argument escalated to calls for using force

Emotions ran so high in the discussion that some commenters began suggesting physical punishment for the teenagers.

Other users objected, stressing that using force would only create another conflict and could leave the adults themselves facing consequences.

Some participants suggest not arguing with minors, but calling the police, documenting property damage, and seeking accountability through legal means.

The discussion showed how tense relations between different generations have become in urban courtyards. Residents want peace, cleanliness, and safety; parents want their children protected; and teenagers want to spend time with friends without constant conflict.

At the same time, reports of drinking, property damage, threats, and aggression remain accounts from participants in the discussion. It is impossible to establish all the circumstances of specific incidents based on comments alone.

We previously reported:

• Firecrackers after a nighttime attack: teenagers set them off on school grounds in Mykolaiv
• Possible shots fired in a Mykolaiv courtyard: two 17-year-olds identified
• Administrative reports issued in Mykolaiv during preventive raids for drinking alcohol and driving without documents
• Mykolaiv police conduct evening raid with special forces and dog handlers
• Conflict breaks out in Korabelnyi district over teenagers throwing firecrackers at passersby’s feet