Seliatyn Territorial Community

History

The administrative center is the village of Seliatyn. The first mentions of the village date back to 1490.

The most famous landmark of the community is the Pamir radar station, which was built on Mount Tomnatyk at the height of the “Cold War” between the USSR and the West. The station was put into operation in 1960. It ended its operation in 1995. Today, the radar station has undergone an unusual transformation – from a strategic military facility near the Romanian border to a popular vacation spot in the Carpathians, a venue for festivals.

Economy and Welfare

The basis of the community economy is the forest industry, as well as trade and restaurant business.

More than 75 percent of the community area is covered by forests. For tens of years, the forest industry has been a key factor in the region’s economy. Currently, there are 2 forestry enterprises operating in the community, which are the largest tax payers.

143 individual entrepreneurs are registered in the community. Also, there is a well-developed network of trade and restaurant facilities.

The department of the border service “Seliatyn” of the Chernivtsi border detachment, as well as  meteorological station “Seliatyn” operate on the territory of the community.

The community is developing and working to improve people’s lives. Thus, in 2021, the Administrative Services Center was opened, where residents can receive 110 services directly in the community. The communal enterprise “Hospodar Hromady” was also created, which takes care of roadsides, takes out garbage, and repairs communal institutions.

The village of Seliatyn is located among the mountains, far from the regional center. This is an original area with age-old traditions and customs. The vast majority of the community’s residents run personal peasant farms. Picking mushrooms and berries is popular in the summer. Sheep breeding is also developed here.

It is worth visiting the Seliatyn community to feel the power of the Ukrainian Carpathians and learn about the culture of the Hutsul region, which for centuries has protected the folk traditions of the highlanders. An ecologically clean region with spring waters, high mountains and primeval forests is ideal for the development of tourism and recreation. However, the lack of a quality paved road is an obstacle.

On the territory of the Seliatyn community, there is the Cheremoskyi national nature park – one of the largest “wild”, untouched natural territories in Ukraine. Wolves, lynxes, brown bears, roe deer, wild boars, capercaillie and many other representatives of wild fauna live here in the forests. Danube salmon and rainbow trout inhabit the rivers. And during June-July, the unique Valley of Gladioli blooms in the vicinity of the settlement of Sarata.

The real pride of Seliatyn is an architectural monument of state importance – the wooden church of the Nativity of the Holy Virgin in the Halytsivka hamlet, which is the oldest example of a wooden church in the Bukovyna Carpathians. Erected approximately in the 1630s without a single nail, the church building incorporated elements of the Bukovyna “house” type and the Hutsul dome, which at that time were just beginning to spread across the territory of Bukovyna and Moldova.

The Seliatyn community hosts various festivals. Every year, the ethno-festival “Love Bukovyna because it is worth it” is held on Mount Tomnatyk, the former territory of the Pamir radar station, before the Independence Day of Ukraine.

In October, there is a local authentic festival “Hutsul Horse” – honoring the faithful helper of the highlanders – the hutsul horse.

In July, with the aim of reviving and popularizing Hutsul age-old traditions of playing the violin, the community holds a festival-competition “Let the violin of your soul play”. This festival is dedicated to the memory of the violinists Prylypchan brothers.

And in January, there are winter festivities which include singing carols and the Malanka fest.

The community has 4 waterfalls, 2 hydrogen sulfide springs, Lake Hirske (Bukovynske) Oko, as well as many streams, mountains and meadows.

There is another extraordinary historical monument in the community – the Crown Prince Rudolph Dam named after the only son of the Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph. It was built in 1879, in a natural narrow place on the Perkalab River. To lower the water with the raft, the sluice was opened, and the water from the reservoir rushed down in a stormy stream, carrying the raft with it. To this day, only a few dams have been partially preserved in the Carpathians. One of them is on the Perkalab in the Seliatyn community.

The educational needs of the highlanders are met by 4 institutions of general secondary education and 3 institutions of preschool education. Inclusion is provided in both kindergartens and schools.

There is a branch of the Halytsivka educational institution in the community for children from remote mountain population centers. Here they live and eat from Monday to Friday and return home only on weekends.

The medical industry in the Seliatyn community is represented by one outpatient clinic of general practice of family medicine and 6 health centers.

The cultural life of the Hutsul region is rich and diverse. Here, grandfather traditions are firmly adhered to in everyday life and in the celebration of religious or family holidays.

There are 3 cultural centers, 2 clubs and 3 libraries on the territory of the community.

The socio-economic situation of the community can be significantly improved by the launch of two international checkpoints that had functioned on the territory of the community until 2010. At the moment, the points “Shepit – Izvoarele Sucevei” and “Ruska – Ulma” are closed and need reconstruction of the premises. As part of the Joint Romania – Ukraine Operational Program 2014-2020, the reconstruction of the road has begun, which is carried out under the international project “Improvement of transport infrastructure in the Chernivtsi – Suceava (Shepit – Izvoarele Sucevei) cross-border area.

Community and War

Since the beginning of the russian war, the Seliatyn Village Council has been taking measures to provide and accommodate temporarily internally displaced persons from the territories of Ukraine where hostilities are taking place. The Seliatyn community provided shelter to 345 people. Currently, 27 IDPs live in the community.

238 residents of the community stood up to defend Ukraine. Unfortunately, the community has losses. In memory of the fallen soldiers, the Alley of Glory was opened in the community, where 13 pictures of soldiers from the community, who gave their lives for the freedom of their native land, were installed.

People of the Community

Currently, the biggest obstacle to community development is the lack of quality roads. The leadership of the community is doing everything possible at its level to improve them, but this direction requires enormous funds. Therefore, great hopes are placed on the reconstruction of border crossing points and the development of the relevant road infrastructure at the expense of state funds and funds from European partners.

Development Strategy

In 2020, the Seliatyn community adopted the Development Strategy until 2027. The main strategic goals of the community include:

– development of the infrastructure of rural areas;
– adaptation of the community to tourist needs;
– economic development in the community.

The community positions itself as a recreation and health area in the Carpathians with a wide range of tourist services being the basis of its economy. As a result of the coordinated policy of the region and the community, attractive investment proposals are formed and promoted at the investment markets. Attracting strategic investors will radically improve the tourist attractiveness of the Seliatyn community, not only as a center of green tourism, but also a place with the rich historical and cultural heritage. The number of jobs and the level of income of the population will increase. Small and medium-sized businesses are developing as a service cluster of the resort network.

List of Sources

• Link to the community’s official website: selyatynska-gromada.gov.ua
• – links to community pages in social networks: facebook.com
• – Internet pages of facilities operating on the territory of the community selyatynska-school.wixsite.com/selyatynskaachool