"You'll screw up your brains": Tatarstan residents stand up for their trees as authorities seek to destroy an entire street of blue spruce trees.

Administration Yelabuga decided to cut down 14 mature, healthy spruce trees in the historic district. Residents were outraged, with hundreds of angry comments on social media. Petition in defense of trees collected more than 800 votes in one day. It was addressed to the head Tatarstan Rustem Minnikhanov and chapter Yelabuga Rustem Nureyev.

According to the approved sketches, after the reconstruction, only stone, concrete, and tiles will remain on the street.  

Initially the authorities explained The need for felling was due to the fact that the spruce roots were damaging the paving. However, residents pointed out that the paving was much better preserved than on neighboring streets where there were no trees. Then the city administration saidthat the spruce trees will be cut down to “preserve their historical appearance.” 

Residents complain that the historic center, where they come for walks and where various events are held, is already impossible to visit in the summer – “like a frying pan,” because there are so few trees left. 

"Barbarians! Would anyone dare to destroy such magnificent beauties?"

"We have factories all around us, and you're cutting down trees. How are we supposed to breathe?", "People already have so little respect for the city administration, and if they cut down these beautiful fir trees on top of that... There are no words," "You'll ruin your brains," Wrote Elabuga residents.

Yelabuga Mayor Rustem Nuriyev is known locally as "the lumberjack." Over the course of several years, hundreds of trees have been destroyed under his leadership. In February, a Yelabuga resident launched a petition for his resignation, including due to widespread deforestation. The petition was widely circulated and garnered over 2 signatures in just a few days, after which the author deleted it. Apparently, they were pressured.