Petropavl's tree removal sparks debate as city defends safety-driven reconstruction

Petropavl's Constitution Street Reconstruction Turns into a Test of Trust, Transparency—and Love for Shade

What began as a routine reconstruction of Constitution Street in Petropavl has unexpectedly spiraled into an emotional reckoning over trust, transparency, and the city's desperate need for shade in the summer heat.

Today, the city is locked in a heated debate—over trees. Or rather, what's left of them. Social media has become a digital herbarium of anxiety: videos of stumps, photos of barren stretches, and a chorus of questions—why, for what purpose, and, most urgently, what comes next? Even typically reserved city deputies have waded into the fray. At an emergency session of the maslikhat (local council), one lawmaker's remarks carried the weight of a parental scolding: "We must handle this with care."

In an effort to dial down the criticism, Petropavl's akim (mayor), Serik Mukhamediyev, took journalists to Constitution Street for a briefing beside the freshly cut stumps. City officials insist there is no "green purge" underway.

Instead, they point to a detailed dendroplan—a tree management blueprint where every specimen is treated like a patient with a medical file: diagnosis, condition, prognosis. Those marked in red are beyond saving. Petropavl boasts over 120,000 trees, of which 20,000 are deemed hazardous, while the rest are either in fair or weakened condition.

"We are in no way trying to turn Petropavl into a desert," Mukhamediyev declared. "Where trees have been removed, we will plant linden, Tatar maple, and ash. We've sourced high-quality linden saplings—five meters tall, with sturdy trunks and strong immune systems. They'll arrive in just two days and replace the trees we've had to cut down. The alpine hill feature will be relocated near the Sabit Mukanov Library. In the end, Constitution Street will have more trees than before."

Many of the old trees, experts say, had rotted from within. Timur Zveryachenko, an associate professor at North Kazakhstan University who helped develop the dendroplan and surveyed the greenery on this stretch, lives on the street himself—and fears the aging trees could one day cause a tragedy.

"Look at it this way: we're not in a forest. This is a city," he said. "What if, during a crowded festival, one of these decaying giants collapses on people?" Zveryachenko had advocated for oak and linden. "Oak is an incredibly robust species—its branches don't just snap off. Linden is beautiful, fragrant when it blooms. In nature, they grow together in the same ecosystem, complementing each other."

Authorities pledge that the removed trees will not be replaced with symbolic, struggling saplings but with mature specimens already well-formed. Additionally, compensatory plantings are planned elsewhere, including along the shores of Lake Pestroye, which the city aims to literally "screen" with greenery to shield it from the road.