Prosecutor Overrides Bastrykin's Order on Volgograd Snow Cannon Noise Case

The Kirovsky District Prosecutor«s Office in Volgograd Oblast canceled the decision to initiate a criminal case regarding the snow cannons from a winter recreation center that are plaguing residents of the »Coliseum« residential complex and the Gornaya Polyana settlement with their noise. Meanwhile, the head of the Investigative Committee of Russia (ICR), Alexander Bastrykin, personally ordered the criminal case to be initiated.

Recall that residents of the «Coliseum» residential complex and residents of the Gornaya Polyana settlement have been complaining about the incessant hum from the snow cannons on the paid tubing slope. The slope was temporarily closed after an incident with children who were injured there, but soon the snow generators started making noise again. Exhausted by the hum, citizens recorded an appeal to Alexander Bastrykin pleading for help. The head of the ICR ordered a criminal case to be initiated.

According to open sources, the owner of the winter recreation center is LLC «Akvatoria», registered in 2021 with an authorized capital of 10,000 rubles (approximately $110 at current rates). The sole founder of the company is Elena Karpenko. Moreover, Ms. Karpenko is the founder of six other legal entities, in many of which co-owners are listed as representatives of the family of large and well-known developers in Volgograd — the Nazarovs.

Earlier, the editorial office of V1.RU sent an official written inquiry to the Investigative Department of the ICR for Volgograd Oblast requesting comment on the progress of the criminal case after further complaints from local residents.

— In connection with the collective appeal of residents of the Gornaya Polyana settlement in Volgograd about the possible provision of services by a commercial organization that do not meet safety requirements, on January 18, the investigative department for the Kirovsky District of Volgograd of the Investigative Department of the ICR for Volgograd Oblast initiated a criminal case on signs of a crime under Part 1 of Article 238 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, — was stated in the response to the editorial office«s inquiry.

During the preliminary investigation, as reported by the Investigative Committee, it was established that the land plot was leased for the placement of the socio-cultural facility «Sanatorny Recreation and Tourism Park». On December 27, the Winter Recreation Park opened there, which deals with rentals and descents on the tubing track.

— In order to ensure the functioning of the tubing track and the proper quality of its covering, the lessee used specialized equipment for generating artificial snow (snow cannons), installed in close proximity to the tubing slope, — the Investigative Committee said. — The specified equipment was operated, among other times, from December 2025 to January 2026.

What was done during the investigation, according to the response of the Investigative Committee, with the participation of a specialist from the territorial body of Rospotrebnadzor (the Russian consumer rights watchdog)?

an inspection of the scene was conducted with noise level measurements;

the CEO of the commercial organization-lessee was interrogated as a witness;

documentation of interest to the investigation was seized;

residents of the Gornaya Polyana settlement were interrogated;

an engineering-technical forensic examination was appointed;

other investigative actions aimed at establishing all circumstances.

The Investigative Committee also reported that information was sent to the Kirovsky District Prosecutor«s Office to organize the necessary inspection. But the prosecutor»s office, in turn, canceled the decision to initiate a criminal case.

— On January 20, 2026, the investigator«s decision to initiate the specified criminal case was canceled by the supervising prosecutor, — the Investigative Committee said. — Currently, the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for Volgograd Oblast has initiated the procedure for appealing this decision in accordance with the law.

The editorial office of V1.RU also sent an official written inquiry to the Prosecutor«s Office of Volgograd Oblast. The agency avoided giving a direct answer.

— In response to the request for information on the decision made by the Prosecutor«s Office of Volgograd Oblast to refuse to initiate a criminal case based on complaints from residents of the Gornaya Polyana settlement and the »Coliseum« residential complex about the hum from the »O2« winter recreation center in the Kirovsky District, we inform you that, in accordance with the legislation, the prosecutor»s offices of the Russian Federation are not authorized to make such procedural decisions.

By the way, local residents, whom a V1.RU correspondent contacted again, confirmed that on the afternoon of January 29, the cannons were humming again, but since forecasters promise warm weather tomorrow, residents assume that the cannons might be turned on again on Friday night.