Officials ignored residents' requests to repair the road from Lechinkai to Lower Chegem.

The road from the village of Lechinkai to Lower Chegem remains broken after the asphalt was removed, and drivers have to drive into oncoming traffic to avoid the potholes, local residents complained.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on July 2, a resident of the Chegem district filmed the potholes and bumps on the road from the village of Lechinkai to Lower Chegem and published it on social media. Commentators pointed out that the road has been in poor condition for over a year, and the authorities do not respond to requests to repair it.

Several years ago, road services removed the asphalt on this 11-kilometer stretch mentioned in the video published on social media, but have not restored the surface yet. As a result, potholes have formed on the road, said the responsible secretary of the Council of Elders of the Balkar people Tamara Gerieva.

"The condition of the road raises complaints from both the villagers and drivers, as it contributes to the occurrence of emergency situations," she noted to the correspondent of "Caucasian Knot."

A resident of Lower Chegem, Nazhabat Kholaeva, who often drives on this road with her son in his car, experiences inconveniences during trips.

"I have to avoid all the potholes and bumps. There used to be asphalt, and the road was more or less even. Then the road workers removed the asphalt, and they are in no hurry to lay new one. The condition of the road is very poor," she told the correspondent of "Caucasian Knot."

Local resident Zhambulat Etteev has repeatedly appealed to the authorities with a demand to bring the road section into proper condition.

"Sometimes, to avoid a pothole or other damage to the asphalt, I have to drive into oncoming traffic, which creates a danger of colliding with an oncoming vehicle. Moreover, there are no guardrails along this entire stretch of road, which poses a real threat of falling into the gorge," he told the correspondent of "Caucasian Knot."

"This summer, I met with the Minister of Road Management Aslan Dyshakov and during the meeting outlined the problem to him. He promised to resolve the issue, but it is unknown when this will happen. Meanwhile, about five thousand residents of the gorge use this road, as well as numerous tourists who visit the Chegem waterfalls – one of the attractions of Kabardino-Balkaria," noted Etteev.

According to Etteev, the prosecutor's office checked the condition of the road and found that it does not meet the standards.

The conclusion of the prosecutor's office states that "on the section of the public road of regional significance of the fifth category, 11 km long, violations were found in the maintenance of the street and road network, including the roadway surface has damages in the form of potholes, subsidence, breaks, and other damages, and the roadway has multiple defects in the road surface."

However, after the prosecutor's inspection, no measures were taken to repair this section of the road.

"The logic of such repairs is unclear. First, the road to the Chegem waterfalls should be put in order, and only then – further up. The repairs are being done from the wrong end," said Zhambulat Etteev.

He suggested that the funds for the repair of the Lechinkai – Lower Chegem road were embezzled. In his opinion, on paper, the road may have been repaired, but in fact, no repairs have been carried out.

Etteev sent an appeal to the investigative department of the Investigative Committee of Russia in Kabardino-Balkaria and received the following response:

"Your appeal dated 08.04.2026 regarding the conduct of an inspection into the fact of embezzlement of budget funds allocated for the reconstruction of the highway between the villages of Lechinkai and Lower Chegem, received by the Investigative Committee of Russia for the KBR, has been considered.

As a result of the consideration, I inform you that your appeal has been attached to the materials of the criminal case No <...>, initiated on 09.02.2026 on the grounds of a crime provided for by part 1 of article 293 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Negligence"), regarding the improper performance of official duties by officials of the state budget institution of Kabardino-Balkaria "Upravdor," which led to the prolonged state of the section of the highway on the Lechinkai – Lower Chegem route not meeting the requirements for road safety."

Within the framework of the criminal case, the arguments presented in the appeal will be fully verified, and a procedural decision will be made, the agency stated.