Today, many people repeat the same phrases: "The city is not clean," "There is a lot of trash on the streets," "Communal services are not working." It is easy to criticize. But there is one question: how can a person who does not know how to keep their home, yard, and street clean demand the cleanliness of the entire city? A city is not an abstract concept. This is the set of houses, courtyards, corridors, and streets in which we live. If every person keeps their doorstep clean, the city will also be clean. But, unfortunately, some people throw trash at their gates, throw cigarette butts on the road, throw a plastic can out of a car window, and then write on social media: "Why is the city so dirty?" Isn't that hypocrisy?

Before we demand cleanliness from others, we must start with ourselves. A parent who teaches a child to throw paper on the ground will not be able to demand love for nature from them tomorrow. A person who does not follow the rules themselves has no moral right to complain about the responsibility of others. Of course, keeping the city clean is also the task of state bodies and municipal services. They must perform their work conscientiously. But neither the most modern machinery nor the most numerous cleaners will be able to eliminate the irresponsibility of every citizen. What one person cleans all day, another can make dirty again in a minute. We envy developed countries. Why is it so clean? And not only because there is more technology or more workers. The main reason is that people consider cleanliness their duty. They do not live with the thought: "Someone will come and clean it up."

City culture is formed in a person's conscience earlier than in laws. If the conscience is awake, the street will be clean. If one's conscience is weak, the harshest fines will not yield the expected result. Every time, before saying, "The city is dirty," let's look in the mirror and ask ourselves: What did I do today for the cleanliness of the city? Have I kept my yard, my doorstep, and my street clean? Have I taught my child the culture of cleanliness? If we cannot find answers to these questions, we must change ourselves before demanding it from others. The cleanliness of the city begins with every home. He who does not sweep his own threshold has no moral right to demand that the entire city be swept. Creating cleanliness with your own hands, rather than expecting it from others, is a true civic duty. After all, a clean city is created not only by workers engaged in cleaning, but also by clean-thinking citizens.