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Skorokhodove Territorial Community
Poltava
Population:
The Skorokhodove territorial community is located in the eastern part of Ukraine on the border of Poltava and Kharkiv regions. The total area of the community is 325.8 square kilometers. There are 52 water bodies on the territory of the community, including one reservoir. The community is home to Pervozvanivskyi Reserve, nature reserve fund asset of local significance with a total area of 116 hectares.
The railway line “Kyiv-Kharkiv” runs through the community. M-03 Kyiv-Kharkiv-Dovzhansky highway (European route E-40 Ridder (Kazakhstan) – Calais (France)) passes 10 km from the community.
The Skorokhodove community includes 21 rural population centers.
As of October 1, 2024, the population of the community was 7,520 people.
Men: 3,518.
Women: 4,002
Children (under 18): 929 people.
During the full-scale war, 2,822 internally displaced persons were officially registered in the community. As of October 1, 2024, 1,913 internally displaced persons lived in the community.
History
The Skorokhodove settlement territorial community was created on March 27, 2016 through the voluntary merger of the Artemivka settlement council, the Iskrivka village council, and the Skybivka village council of the Chutove district. On May 13, 2020, Vilnytsia, Nova Kochubeivka, Petrivka, and Fylenkove village councils also joined the community.
The history of the community is closely related to the name of the famous landowner of the 20th century, Sofia Durnovo, who contributed to the economic development of the area, as well as the development of education and medicine. In 1903, Sofia Durnovo started the construction of one of the first sugar factories in the Poltava region. Around the construction site of the factory, a hamlet gradually arose, which was named Pavlivka – in honor of Pavlo Durnovo. Later, the hamlet turned into a settlement, which was renamed Artemivka by the Soviet authorities in 1925 (in honor of Fedir Sergeev, better known under the pseudonym “Artem”).
In independent Ukraine, during the decommunization process of 2016, the settlement changed its name to Skorokhodove after the Skorokhodove railway station located in the settlement. There is a popular version that sugar products produced at the sugar factory were transported to the station “quickly” (Ukrainian “skorym khodom”). Hence the name of the railway station – Skorokhodove.
In 1910, a two-story house of “noble gatherings” was built, where Sofia Durnovo often stopped, arriving by railway, to receive her partners. Now it is the administrative building of the Settlement Council.
The Skorokhodove area is famous for its ancient oaks, which are more than 150 years old. This place attracts tourists who want to recharge using the powerful energy of nature.
Economy and Welfare
The basis of the community’s economic development is agrarian business. About 200 business entities operate on the territory of the community – mainly agricultural enterprises, small farms and private entrepreneurs providing the local population with food products and services.
The industrial sector of the community is represented by elevators, several agrochemical enterprises and the production of building materials.
Thanks to cooperation with international donors, a greenhouse economy was started in 2023 on the basis of the communal enterprise of the community in the village of Petrivka – a greenhouse with drip irrigation was installed. Grown vegetables are transferred to educational institutions for feeding community children and sold to local entrepreneurs.
The community has vacant plots of land and premises that are potentially attractive for investment. One of these objects is the created land plot of 18 hectares for the industrial park.
There are 5 institutions of general secondary education and 8 institutions of preschool education operating in the community, for which the largest part of funds is allocated from the budget of the community.
There are 7 libraries in the community, which are gradually turning into modern educational spaces for local residents thanks to cooperation with international donors.
There are 7 clubs operating in the community. Amateur art activities are well-developed in the community – local on-stage performance groups of our community are known far beyond its borders.
With the assistance of international partners, a modern, open and comfortable public activity center “HromadaHUB” was created in the community, which is very popular among the residents of the community. Educational trainings, master classes, film screenings, board game competitions, a co-working area and many other events are constantly held here.
One of the priority areas of work in the community is the development and support of children and youth. Various educational trainings, flash mobs, creative master classes, summer camps, interest clubs, sports competitions, excursions, entertainment events are organized for them on an ongoing basis.
The community traditionally celebrates national holidays and organizes festivals. Thus, the Skorokhodove community annually gathers bikers and rock musicians for the Petrivka Motofest. This event is always attended by many guests not only from neighboring communities, but even from neighboring regions. In 2024, a festival of traditional Ukrainian borshch was held for the first time in the village of Pervozvanivka with the aim of popularizing Ukrainian cuisine and increasing the tourist attraction of the community.
The community pays considerable attention to the development of sports. The most popular of them are football, volleyball and basketball. Every year, a number of open football championships are held in the village of Pervozvanivka and the settlement of Skorokhodove. Local football teams are regular participants in local and regional tournaments.
Every year, the community participates in the regional competition of public initiatives “Participation Budget of the Poltava Region”. Thanks to this, three socially important projects have already been implemented in the community. In 2024, the Settlement Council started this practice at the local level to provide the opportunity for every resident of the community to participate in the distribution of local budget funds through the creation of projects for the improvement of their community and voting for them. And there are already two winning projects that will be implemented in 2025.
Three outpatient clinics of the general practice of family medicine and eight paramedic and midwifery stations provide medical aid to the residents of the community.
The problem of physical and mental health of the population is especially urgent in wartime conditions. With the help of funds from international partners, in 2023, a room for physical and health services was installed in the community at the day-stay department of the communal institution “Social Services Center” of the Skorokhodove Settlement Council to increase the physical activity of elder people, people with disabilities, children with disabilities, and IDPs residing in the Skorokhodove Settlement Territorial Community.
Community and War
From the first days of the war, the inhabitants of the Skorokhodove community stood up to defend their Motherland against russian aggression. And every day more and more residents join the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Unfortunately, the war brought irreparable losses. There are fallen, missing and seriously wounded defenders in the community.
Since the beginning of the war, local residents have joined their efforts and have been actively helping the Ukrainian military. In every educational institution, they weave camouflage nets, bake pies, and organize charity fairs. Powerful volunteer centers operate in almost every population center of the community, which support the military in every possible way: they knit socks, collect food, raise funds for the purchase of cars, drones, communication devices and other equipment necessary for the Ukrainian military. Charity concerts, football tournaments, and festivals are constantly held in the community, where money is raised to cover the needs of the military.
A lot of attention in the community is given to helping internally displaced persons. Since the beginning of the war, more than 2,800 internally displaced persons have found shelter in the Skorokhodove community. The local government, in close cooperation with charitable international and local organizations, cater for the primary needs of forcibly displaced persons: food, dishes, clothing, personal hygiene products, temporary housing, and more. In most cases, local residents sheltered these people in their homes for free, sometimes sharing with them all they have. Many of people who were forced to leave their homes as a result of the war found their new home in the community. A lot of immigrants have already found work and take an active part in community life and their children study in local schools and kindergartens.
People of the Community
The Skorokhodove Settlement Head, Valerii Shtepka was first elected in 2015, at the age of 32. After that, he was reelected the head of the settlement two more times during the merger and consolidation of the community.
During his tenure, the community implemented many infrastructure improvement projects and introduced new methods of communication with the community through social networks, which significantly improved the level of interaction between local authorities and residents.
The head of the community, by his own example, demonstrates a high level of patriotism, support for the military and faith in victory! He always supports fundraisers for the needs of defenders and charity events. He repeatedly personally took everything necessary for the military to advanced positions.
Development Strategy
One of the main planning documents of the Skorokhodove settlement territorial community until 2027 is the Development Strategy, which was created and approved in 2023. It is aimed at solving the common problems of community residents, and implementing joint tasks regarding economic growth, increasing competitiveness, investment attractiveness, quality of life in the community through effective use of resources and implementation of common interests of the government, community and business.
The following strategic goals in the development of the Skorokhodove settlement territorial community until 2027 have been defined:
Strategic goal 1. Ensuring the quality of services, comfort and well-being in the community.
Strategic goal 2. Creation of sustainable conditions for the development of entrepreneurship, the use of logistical opportunities and spatial development of the community.
Strategic goal 3. Creation of an attractive environment for life in the community based on the principles of energy efficiency and environmental safety.
According to the Strategy, the main priority projects for implementation in the community are:
– major and current repairs of community educational institutions;
– construction of a new community safety center and purchase of a new fire truck.
– overhaul of outpatient clinics of general practice of family medicine;
– reconstruction of premises for accommodation for medical workers;
– construction of multifunctional sports grounds for playing sports;
– construction of “Active Park” in the settlement of Skorokhodove;
– capital repair of the premises for the placement of the Administrative Services Center;
– construction of a ramp in the day care department of the Social Services Center;
– major repair of an apartment building to provide housing for internally displaced persons;
– construction of two apartment buildings to provide affordable housing for the most vulnerable categories of citizens in need of support, namely for combatants and internally displaced persons;
– development of greenhouse farming on the basis of a communal enterprise;
– purchase of specialized equipment for utility companies;
– construction and reconstruction of water supply networks and drainage systems;
– construction, major and current repairs and arrangement of civil protection shelters;
– construction of a citizen safety center;
– major and current repair of community roads and pedestrian zones.
List of Sources
- Official website of the Skorokhodove Settlement Council
- Official Facebook page of the Skorokhodove Settlement Council
- Official Facebook page of the Department of Information Activities and Public Communications in Poltava Region
- Facebook page of the Department of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports of the Skorokhodove Settlement Council
- Official Facebook page of the Base Institution “Skorokhodove Lyceum” of the Skorokhodove Settlement Council
- Official Facebook page of the Military Patriotic Club “Phoenix”
- Official Facebook page of the Nova Kochubeivka Lyceum of the Skorokhodove Settlement Council
- Wikipedia
- Facebook Page of Tourist Skorokhodove Area
- Official Facebook page of the Skorokhodove-based Branch of Nibulon LLC