Preparations have begun for filling another section of the beach in Anapa with sand.

The mayor of Anapa announced preparations to fill a 3.5-kilometer stretch of beach with sand and urged vacationers to refrain from visiting it. Telegram users expressed concerns about the quality of the imported sand.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot," on May 8, Anapa Mayor Svetlana Maslova signed a decree exempting a section of beach near the village of Vityazevo from the danger zone. This refers to a kilometer-long stretch of beach where a test technology for filling with imported sand was first used. The decision was based on a conclusion by Rospotrebnadzor, the agency that confirmed that the beach complies with sanitary norms and requirements.

Four more access roads for special equipment are being constructed on Anapa's beaches, Svetlana Maslova reported today on her Telegram channel.

"They are being prepared for the delivery and placement of a clean layer of sand on the next 3.5-kilometer stretch of beach. Work is being carried out on Topoliny and Dzhemetinsky Drives, in the area of ​​Mozhepsin Stream and the Odyssey boarding house. Residents and visitors to the resort are asked to limit their presence in these areas for safety reasons and to avoid interfering with the equipment," she wrote.

Sand Somehow different

The mayor of Anapa illustrated her message with two photographs. One shows a cleared access road to the beach, the other shows an excavator unloading sand.

Comments on the post questioned the quality of the sand. "This sand is somehow different. Are they using regular sand or something? Can't they use the same sand they took away?" - wrote Anton. "They've ruined the beaches," a user with the nickname A succinctly remarked.

What terrible sand!

The mayor's post was reposted by Anapa blogger Yuri Ozarovsky on his Telegram channel (46,500 subscribers). As of 1:55 PM Moscow time, there was one comment under the repost. "What terrible sand!" wrote its author, Vyacheslav.

As a reminder, the quality of the sand delivered to the Anapa beach is questionable; it is construction sand with clay admixtures, an ecologist stated earlier, noting that this could ruin the beaches for a long time. Internet users believe that the goal of reopening the beaches will be achieved despite the environmental damage. Environmentalists and activists point out that quarry sand will not solve the problem of fuel oil emissions, but will only temporarily conceal the pollution on Anapa's beaches. The Russian Deputy Prime Minister stated that refilling the beaches with new sand must be completed by the start of the beach season. He added that if the work proceeds according to plan, the beaches will be open by June 1. Environmentalists, however, believe it's too early to talk about the beaches' suitability for tourists, as the sunken parts of the fuel oil tankers have not yet been raised, and residual pollution remains on the sand. Following the fuel oil spill in the Kerch Strait, Rospotrebnadzor (the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing) declared 141 beaches in Anapa and nine beaches in the Temryuk District unsuitable for recreation. Following the fuel oil spill, 60% fewer tourists visited Anapa in 2025 than in 2024. Due to a record drop in revenue, Anapa's sanatoriums and children's camps are teetering on the brink of closure. On December 15, 2024, two tankers carrying fuel oil sank in the Kerch Strait. A crew member from one of the tankers died. Additionally, an oil spill occurred, leading to catastrophic environmental consequences, according to the Caucasian Knot report "Fuel Oil Spill in the Kerch Strait." Caucasian Knot has compiled materials on the "Fuel Oil Spill in the Kerch Strait" page.