Ukrainian MP Oleksandr Feldman advanced this opinion. During the last year, more than fifty large-scale environmentally-orientated events took place in the territory of the Regional Landscape Park Feldman Ecopark, and the record number of Kharkiv residents took part in them. “A conservative estimate, including those who are in constant connection with us and participates in our eco-projects, shows that the number reaches 200,000 Kharkiv residents,” they say in Feldman Ecopark.
“It is almost every tenth resident of our city. And I think that it is one of the highest indices of environmental activity in Ukraine,” Oleksandr Feldman says. “I am glad that environmental initiatives become popular and important in Kharkiv. I welcome and support the initiative to hold the first festival of green culture, which is to take place this weekend in the Peremohy park in the district of Saltovka. It is important that we ‘move’ from the relevantly well-tended city centre to the residential districts and the outskirts. The city cannot be green on one square kilometer in the city centre and burnt-over on the outskirts. The places for the full-fledged family rest must be available not only in the central parks, but also within walking distance from people’s homes. The practice of felling and construction in the parks, like it was in the Artema park, must become water under the bridge. Unfortunately, during long years, the ‘green movement’ in Ukraine wasn’t popular enough. But this situation is paradoxical taking our environmental condition into account. Today, the environmental demand is finally formed. Thirty years ago, European environmental groups joked bitterly: the ‘green’ would have been President, if the trees had voted. Luckily, the situation has changes and today, the representatives of environmental movements set the pace in the European municipalities and parliaments concerning the development of territories. We are literally one step away from this. A clean, green and safe city is a collective responsibility. An ecological city is not a difficult task if you start with yourself. Look how many cars are in Kharkiv. Did every motorist plant a tree? It should be noted that one tree is able to absorb as much carbon dioxide during the year, as a car produces during 42,000 kilometers. That is why, no matter how many eco-festivals are carried out in our city, as there will never be too much of them,” Oleksandr Feldman said.
