Public Recreation Areas
Recreation should be pleasant and safe
With the onset of warm weather, residents and guests of our city and district are drawn to nature, and primarily to rivers and lakes, to relax, refresh and regain strength after working days. Often, while on vacation, they forget about personal property safety measures, rules of conduct on the water, compliance with fire safety rules, which sometimes leads to tragic consequences. Some drink alcohol, light fires in fire-hazardous places, pollute the environment with household waste, engage in illegal logging and poaching, which turns them into offenders.
In the territory of Postavy city and Postavy district, by decisions of the district executive committee, places permitted for swimming, places where swimming is prohibited, as well as public recreation areas, i.e., those where, under certain circumstances, a significant number of citizens gather, have been determined.
Places prohibited for swimming include those places where it is dangerous to do so due to the bottom relief, current, proximity of any technical structures, and other human safety considerations. Thus, by the decision of the Postavy District Executive Committee, it is determined that swimming is prohibited in melioration and technical canals, ponds, dug ponds, water-filled quarries, artificial fire reservoirs, treatment facilities, backwaters, locations of dams, locks, bridges, dikes, and other hydraulic structures. Swimming in these places entails administrative responsibility under Article 24.42 of the Code of the Republic of Belarus on Administrative Offenses (hereinafter referred to as the Code of Administrative Offenses). For such a violation, a fine of up to three basic units may be imposed.
Places permitted for swimming are beaches and coastal areas of lakes and rivers. To ensure normal recreation and public safety, they are landscaped, that is, equipped with shade canopies, changing rooms, garbage containers, and toilets. Before the opening of the swimming season, the bottom of the beach area is obligatorily cleaned of household waste and other items that could cause injuries to people, with the help of OSVOD divers. Thus, swimming and recreation in such places are safer.
Public recreation areas are places with the highest number of visitors, including during cultural and mass events. In our city and district, these are the Myadelka River beach (city park), Zadevskoye Lake beach from Zelenaya Street in Postavy, Dubok Lake beach, and Beloye Lake beach (most known to our residents as "Ozerki").
However, it should not be forgotten that all recreation areas are public places, in connection with which, drinking alcoholic, low-alcohol beverages and beer, consumption of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or their analogues, as well as appearing in a state of intoxication, in these places entails administrative responsibility under Article 19.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. In the summer period, law enforcement agencies will pay special attention to ensuring public safety and maintaining public order in these places, as violation of elementary rules of conduct, or swimming while intoxicated often causes accidents and deaths.
Also, it often happens that, carried away by recreation and swimming in cool water on a hot day, people leave their property unattended, including expensive phones, cameras, and other valuables. This can be taken advantage of by "dishonest" people and stolen. Therefore, do not leave your property unattended, comply with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus, and the rules of conduct on the water, and your vacation will be pleasant and safe.
Department of Law Enforcement and Prevention of the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Postavy District Executive Committee.
Recreation should be pleasant and safe
For questions concerning law enforcement activities, you can contact the Department of Internal Affairs of the Postavy District Executive Committee by phone:
43225, 41202, or 102;
MTS 8-029 – 5102945;
Velcom 8-029 – 3257402.
At the same time, we remind you that in public places
It is prohibited:
- to offensively harass citizens and commit other deliberate acts that violate public order, the activities of organizations, or the peace of citizens and are expressed in clear disrespect for society. Article 17.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Republic of Belarus (hereinafter – the Code of Administrative Offenses) "Petty hooliganism" entails a fine of 2 to 30 basic units (hereinafter – BU) or administrative arrest;
- to drink low-alcohol or alcoholic beverages, as well as beer, outside specially designated places, or to appear in a public place in a state of intoxication. Article 17.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses "Drinking alcoholic, low-alcohol beverages or beer, consuming narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or their analogues in a public place or appearing in a public place or at work in a state of intoxication" entails a fine of up to 8 BU. The same actions, committed repeatedly within a year after the imposition of a penalty for such violations, from 2 to 15 BU or administrative arrest. For appearing in a public place or consuming narcotic drugs, a fine of up to 15 BU may be imposed;
- to swim in prohibited places in rivers, lakes, reservoirs, ponds, and other bodies of water. Article 23.63 of the Code of Administrative Offenses "Swimming in prohibited places" entails a fine of 1 to 3 BU;
- to pollute and litter water bodies, violate the regime of water protection zones. Article 15.51 of the Code of Administrative Offenses "Pollution or littering of water" entails a fine of 4 to 20 BU, for an individual entrepreneur – up to 100 BU, and for a legal entity – up to 500 BU.
In addition, on beaches, it is not allowed:
- to enter the water and swim while intoxicated;
- to swim beyond buoys and other signs indicating swimming boundaries;
- to approach vessels (motor, sailing), rowing boats, and other watercraft;
- to climb technical and warning signs, buoys, and other objects;
- to jump into the water from boats, motorboats, piers, other structures not adapted for these purposes, as well as in places where the depth and bottom condition are unknown;
- to use rescue equipment and gear for purposes other than intended;
- to swim on boards, loungers, logs, inner tubes, inflatable mattresses, and other items that do not meet the requirements for watercraft;
- to organize water games involving diving and grabbing swimmers, as well as to allow other actions that may cause an accident;
- to give false alarm signals;
- to leave young children unattended;
- to swim for persons with infectious skin diseases;
- to wash laundry and bathe animals.
Department of Law Enforcement and Prevention of the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Postavy District Executive Committee
