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Mamalyha Terrirorial Community
Chernivtsi
Population:
The Mamalyha community was established on 25 October 2015. It comprises 8 settlements. In 2020, the Mamalyha Community became part of the Dnistrovskyi Raion of Chernivtsi Oblast (raion centre – the settlement of Kelmentsi).
The Mamalyha Community is located in Chernivtsi Oblast on the left bank of the Prut River, at the intersection of the borders of three countries: Ukraine, Romania, and Moldova.
The community includes the villages of Mamalyha, Koshuliany, Dranytsia, Podvirne, Stalnivtsi, Balkivtsi, Nesvoia, and Nehryntsi, with the administrative centre in the village of Mamalyha.
The community serves as the gateway to Chernivtsi Oblast from the Republic of Moldova, as it hosts road and railway border crossing points.
The European highway Stryi–Chisinau passes through the community’s villages, and the T2610 road connects Mamalyha to Khotyn and further to the “Kyiv” highway.
The territorial community covers an area of nearly 1,409 square kilometres, with a population of 11,295 residents as of 2025.
The main part of the community’s population consists of Moldovans (80%), with Ukrainians accounting for 18% and representatives of other nationalities – 2%.
Women: 6,331
Men: 4,964
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs): 109.
History
The community includes the villages of Mamalyha, Koshuliany, Balkivtsi, Dranytsia, Nehryntsi, Nesvoia, Podvirne, and Stalnivtsi – each with an ancient history dating back to the 15th–16th centuries – and preserves a rich cultural and natural heritage.
The village of Mamalyha, located near the border with Moldova, is known for its gypsum factory founded in 1911, as well as a history reaching back to the times of trade routes across the Prut.
Balkivtsi, founded in 1454, has preserved an 18th-century wooden church. Dranytsia and Nehryntsi have ancient roots and a rich archaeological heritage; settlements of the Trypillian, Chernyakhiv, and Kyivan Rus cultures have been discovered here, and an ornithological reserve operates, protecting dozens of bird species.
Nesvoia emerged at the intersection of trade routes and has a multinational history, while Podvirne, one of the youngest settlements in the region, is known for the “Popeliushka” Cave – a unique three-level gypsum cave over 150 km long, considered one of the largest in the world.
Stalnivtsi, founded in the 15th century, has preserved tranquillity and traditional way of life, continuing the history of ancient Bukovynian settlements.
Economy and Welfare
In Mamalyha, there is a large factory that extracts gypsum stone and produces building mixtures. In recent years, it has reduced the scale of its operations, affecting revenues to the local budget and the number of jobs.
The dominant sector of the local economy is agriculture, utilising good lands and a favourable climate. One of Ukraine’s largest agricultural producers – Kontinental – operates in the community. The rest are mostly farmers with small holdings.
As part of the project “Different Communities – Common Solutions for Economic Growth,” the Centre for Economic Growth has been established in the community. The Centre is a communication platform and a venue in the community for meetings of entrepreneurs, youth, and active residents of our community.
Thematic events (master classes, consultations, trainings, entrepreneur meetings) are held at the Centre. All are aimed at providing assistance, explanatory work, and information that will promote business development in the community.
In 2023, the reconstruction of a non-residential administrative building with an area of over 340 square metres into office premises began. The lease will be provided on a competitive basis through an electronic auction.
The Mamalyha community has a favourable transport-geographical location and well-developed infrastructure. The national highway H10 passes through its territory, connecting the community to the Republic of Moldova (3 km) and the oblast centre – Chernivtsi (56 km), as well as the local road T2610 leading to Khotyn (31 km).
The Mamalyha railway station, part of the international transport corridor “Baltic Sea – Black Sea” and connected to the “Cretan” transport corridor No. 9, is of great importance. The “Mamalyha” border crossing point operates in the community, through which over 100,000 vehicles pass annually, including about 25,000 trucks.
The community has successful experience participating in international grant programmes and cross-border cooperation projects. For example, with grant support, the agricultural cooperative “MIKO” was created, uniting over 30 small landowners and providing opportunities for drying grains and increasing their added value. The community also joined the project “Promoting Sustainable Development of Rural Territories in Chernivtsi and Odesa Oblasts,” under which three local businesses received financial support, and participated in the cross-border initiative “Common Solutions for Common Problems,” aimed at preventing natural and man-made disasters in border regions.
Public organisations in the Mamalyha community are actively engaged in various areas aimed at socio-economic, cultural, educational, and environmental development of the community. The most active areas of their work include: activating the public movement, preserving and developing cultural-historical heritage, environmental initiatives, social and charitable support.
The Centre for Professional and Creative Growth was established at the Mamalyha Lyceum as part of the project implemented with EU financial support ENI/2021/430-447 “Connecting Communities – For Sustainable Economic Growth – ConCom4EG.”
As part of the grant project by the NGO “Vidrodzhennia MK,” a unified video surveillance system was created, enhancing public safety, protecting communal property, and contributing to road safety. In 2017, the community joined the EU initiative “Mayors for Economic Growth,” which enabled the establishment of partnerships between authorities and business, stimulating economic activity and attracting investments. As part of the cross-border initiative “Connecting Communities – For Sustainable Economic Growth,” a modern business space was opened with rooms for child development, a dental office, a mini-cinema, and a children’s recreation area.
The Podvirne School of Arts operates in the Mamalyha community, which did not stop its work during the full-scale invasion. Its students regularly participate in both oblast and international competitions.
The Community and the War
The Mamalyha Community actively provides the Armed Forces of Ukraine with vehicles. Volunteers and community leadership regularly organise fundraisers to purchase transport for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Accordingly, they buy necessary vehicles in the Baltic countries, Romania, or Moldova, and deliver them to Ukraine, where they are handed over to Ukrainian units. Along with vehicles, community volunteers deliver humanitarian aid and equipment to the defenders.
From the first days of the war, residents of the Mamalyha Community stood to defend the homeland against Russian aggression. Over 300 men are currently defending Ukraine in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. To date, 10 servicemen from the community have been killed, 5 are considered missing in action, and over 20 are seriously wounded.
Special attention in the community is paid to ensuring quality and accessible services for residents, including IDPs, war veterans and their family members, families of servicemen who have died, persons with disabilities, and elderly persons.
People of the Community
Arkadii Shova is the head of the territorial community.
The community operates the “Programme for Financial Support of Family Medicine Outpatient Clinics,” which ensures payment for utilities and reimbursement of medicine costs for eligible citizens. Primary healthcare facilities have strengthened their material and technical base, expanded the range of services, and also provide dental and veterinary care.
In 2022, a project funded under the Joint Operational Programme Romania-Ukraine 2014-2020 was completed: “Joint Actions to Prevent Natural and Man-Made Disasters on the Romanian-Ukrainian Border.” One of the project’s outcomes was the installation of a public notification system in the Mamalyha community.
Also, in February 2024, a Police Station was opened in the village of Mamalyha. The premises are equipped with everything necessary for law enforcement officers.
Development Strategy
Two priority directions for local economic development have been identified:
- Support and promotion of entrepreneurship, creation of favourable conditions for economic activity development and investment attraction;
- Activation of recreation and tourism, taking into account the natural and historical-cultural potential of the territory.
The community is implementing the Programme to Increase the Efficiency of Asset Management, which envisages:
- rational, economically efficient, and predictable management of communal property;
- improvement of the condition of communal property objects and the quality of public services;
- increase in revenues to the local budget from the use of community property.
Sources
- mamalyha.com.ua – official page of the Mamalyha Community.
- mamalyha.com.ua/strategy – strategy of the Mamalyha Community.
- facebook.com/radamamalyha – official Facebook page of the Mamalyha Community.