Introduction Intensive anthropogenic activity leads to soil degradation, which is manifested in changes in their physical, chemical and biological characteristics. One of the first signs of such degradation is a change in the activity of soil enzymes, which are key participants in the processes of nutrient cycling and formation of soil structure. The purpose is to assess the condition of urban soils by the activity of soil enzymes. Material and methods. The research was carried out in a number of districts of the city of Yoshkar-Ola. The activity of soil enzymes (urease, invertase, protease, catalase, intensity of soil respiration) was determined. The analysis was carried out using standard methods of enzymology and statistical data processing. Results. The catalase activity varied from 1.29 to 2.82 ml O2 / 1 min/g soil and was independent of the study area. According to the degree of catalase enrichment on the scale of D. G. Zvyagintsev they belong to poor, with weak activity. The activity of urease was 1.13‒1.6 h, invertase 0.12‒2.86 mg glucose / g soil / 24 h, protease 0.24‒1.23 mg glycine / 1 g soil / 24 h, which indicates very weak activity of these enzymes and, at the same time, depends on the sampling site. It was also found that the soils of Yoshkar-Ola are characterised by low intensity of carbon dioxide release. In urban urban soils the share of catalase and urease in the total enzymatic activity is higher, in the control soil samples ‒ invertase. Conclusion. The study of soils in the territory of Yoshkar-Ola showed that urban urban soils are characterised by low enzymatic activity, which indicates deterioration of soil condition under anthropogenic impact.