Baikivtsi Territorial Community

History

The Baikivtsi territorial community was formed in 2015 by merging 5 village councils with the subsequent addition of two more councils in 2018 and another two in 2019. In 2020, 2 more village councils joined the community. As of today, the community includes 15 villages.

The village of Baikivtsi is the center of the community. There are as many as three versions of the origin of the Baikivtsi village. According to the first one, it was named after the first landowner, according to the second legend, it honored the Cossack Bai, who allegedly founded a hamlet in these places. The third version suggests that the name of the village comes from the word “baika” (Eng. “fable”).

Baikivtsi is known in sources from 1546 and was the property of the Dawidowski family. If many villages had one manor’s yard, then in Baikivtsi there were as many as two. One of these manors, which belonged to the Szelskis and was built in the first quarter of the 19th century, was rebuilt into a school.

The last owners of the manor, the Niesiolowski family, left the manor before the arrival of the communist barbarians in 1939. It is worth noting that in 1936, Juliusz and Maria Fredberg, the owners of the village at that time, as well as the Niesiolowski family, funded the construction of a church in the village, which is the local decoration. The shape of the foundation of the temple resembles a cross, and the church itself is built in the Art Nouveau style. The church is an architectural monument. In 2020, it was handed over to the Roman Catholic Church, named after St. Charbel and the divine service was resumed.

The sights of the village also include the Church of St. Paraskeva. The church was built in 1900. In 1989, the Greek Catholic parish was restored, and the temple was handed over to the UGCC. There are also many other active historical temples on the territory of the community.

The pride of the community is Ukraine’s first village school automated astronomical observatory with remote access in the village of Lozova. 

On the territory of the community, there are 5 botanical monuments (including 2 landscape reserves), 6 hydrological monuments, 6 architectural monuments, 14 historical monuments, 5 monuments of monumental art and 49 archaeological monuments, among which is the burial ground (necropolis) of the Chernyakhiv (Gothic) culture in the village of Cherneliv-Ruskyi. It is Europe’s most explored necropolis which, thanks to the legend of Ukrainian archeology Ihor Gereta (1938-2002), is now known in scientific circles all over the world.

Almost 2,000 exhibits from 288 burials have been excavated here, 20 of them have been preserved. Several burials belong to Roman centurions. It is planned to build an open-air museum on the territory of the cemetery.

In the same village, priest Mykola Mykhalevych, who became famous for his study and care of bees, lived and worked for many years. In 1877, he published the book “Apiary”, which went through 5 reprints until 1922.

Various tourist locations of the private sector are available for residents and guests of the community. They include an equestrian sports complex and a horse ranch, recreation areas and recreation centers.

Economy and Welfare

About 1,200 business entities are registered on the territory of the community. Usually, these are small enterprises with a small number of employees. Among the enterprises there are those engaged in agriculture, automobile manufacturing, construction, production of furniture and dental equipment, stone processing, trade, providing hotel services, catering services, roadside services and others.

Since 2006, one of the largest enterprises, Bordnetze Ukraine – the German division of the Japanese corporation Sumitomo Electric, has been operating on the territory of the community, which can employ up to 4,500 workers. The enterprise is engaged in the production of electrical and electronic equipment for cars.

Among other enterprises, it is worth highlighting the manufacturer of dental equipment – Galit.

With the beginning of the full-scale war with russia, the enterprise “Tekhnolohiya” was relocated to the Baikivtsi community from the city of Sumy. It is a leading manufacturer of packaging for the food and beverage industry. The company supplies its products to more than 60 countries of the world on 5 continents.

Health care in the community is represented by 4 out-patient clinics of general practice of family medicine and 10 first aid stations. The facility employs 7 family doctors, 1 dentist, 1 dental surgeon, 1 ultrasound diagnostician, and 1 otolaryngologist. A cardiologist and a psychologist have also started work here.

The community also pays great attention to education. There are seven schools and five preschool educational institutions (including three that are subdivisions of schools).

The community annually organizes cultural and sports events that contribute to the development of local talents and the coherence of the population.

Community and War

Fortunately, the territory of the Baikivtsi community was not affected by russian missiles and drones. However, unfortunately, there are more than two dozen dead and missing Ukrainian soldiers who are native of the community.

Literally from the first days of the war, the community actively began to help the Armed Forces of Ukraine, refugees and volunteers.

Thanks to the joint efforts of the Village Council and its structural units, deputies of the Village Council, businessmen, entrepreneurs, residents of the villages, 31 SUVs, 1 minibus, 31 quadrocopters, five charging stations, as well as walkie-talkies, generators, tires, night vision devices, binoculars and many other gear and equipment have already been sent to the frontline.

About UAH 15 million was transferred from the budget of the Village Council to military units at their request. One combat unit, for example, purchased an expensive drone “Leleka” with funds allocated by the community.

The Polish partner made an extremely significant contribution to helping Ukrainian soldiers and internally displaced persons. The Wielka Wieś commune formed and sent eight humanitarian cargoes (food, medicine, hygiene products, generators, power banks, etc.), as well as two fire trucks and fire equipment to the Baikivtsi community. The first shipment from Polish friends arrived as soon as March 6, 2022 – the tenth day of the war.

Currently, about 400 internally displaced persons live in the Baikivtsi community. In total, 1,500 refugees were granted asylum. Numerous measures are taken for their social and material support.

People of the Community

From the first days of the war, the Baikivtsi community received more than a thousand people who were looking for a safe place and fleeing from the war. Communal institutions and facilities designated as places of temporary stay, in particular educational institutions, took on the greatest burden of accommodating people – in peak times up to 100 people stayed there. Some people spent the night and moved on, and some stayed to live in the community. Residents of the community who offered private houses provided significant help in accommodating people. From the first day of the war, residents united and began to help people who were in trouble.

For 8 years in a row, the “Christmas Dumpling Factory” has been operating in the Baikivtsi community. Everyone without exception joins it.

In 2023, the Social Services Center of the Baikivtsi Village Council launched the Providay Project, the purpose of which is to provide home-made food to military personnel undergoing treatment in medical facilities in the Ternopil region.

Every week, social workers, employees of educational and cultural institutions, as well as local housewives gather in one of the villages to make food kits and deliver them to hospitals.

The action receives financial and material support from businessmen.

Development Strategy

According to the “Development Strategy of the Baikivtsi United Community for 2017-2025”, which was prepared with the assistance of the DOBRE program, implemented by Global Communities and financed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), these are the following areas of activity:

– formation of attractive investment proposals and their active promotion;

– support of economic activity in rural areas;

– creation of ecological and recreational areas near Ternopil.

The community has a partnership with the Commune of Wielka Wieś (Republic of Poland)

List of Sources

• Official website of the Baikivtsi Village Council 
• Facebook page of the Baikivtsi community