Kushuhum Community

History

The Kushuhum territorial community was formed by merging the Balabyne, Kushuhum, and Malokaterynivka settlement councils with the administrative centre in
the urban-type settlement of Kushuhum. The first elections were held on October 25, 2020.

Kushuhum is located on the bank of the Dnipro, south of the city of Zaporizhzhia. The Kushuhum River, which flows into the Dnipro, passes through the settlement. The modern name of the settlement is derived from the name of the Kushuhum River. The territory on which the settlement of Kushuhum is located was called the Dyke Pole (Wild Field) in ancient times. The Polovtsy, and later the Crimean Tatars and Turks completely devastated it. In the 17th–18th centuries, these lands became part of the lands of the Zaporozhian Sich. And the settlement itself was founded in 1760 by Zaporozhian Cossacks. Fugitive peasants and Cossacks engaged in fishing, cattle breeding, and agriculture here.

At the beginning of the 18th century there was a Zaporozhian winter lodging and a church in the settlement of Balabyne, which was opened in 1777 on the day of the
religious holiday of Peter and Paul – that is why the village was called Petrivka.

The settlement of Malokaterynivka is located on the left bank of the Kakhovka Reservoir near the mouth of the Kinska River. The settlement of Malokaterynivka began to be settled in the 1770s by Cossacks of the Zaporozhian Sich and spontaneous migrants. Thus, in 1794, part of the peasants from the village of Turbai of the Kyiv Governorate were moved here. During the Second World War, the settlement was occupied by German troops from October 5 to October 14, 1943. On May 9, 1977, the Glory Memorial was opened to perpetuate the exploits of the
soldiers of 1941-1945.

Economy and Welfare

The Kushuhum territorial community is famous for its equestrian sports complex Centaur. This year, they have received the status of a stud farm. Even during the
war, they did not suspend their activities. Centaur is the most developed equestrian sports complex in the Zaporizhzhia region, located in the picturesque area of the
settlement of Malokaterynivka, Kushuhum community.

The equestrian sports complex Centaur is a spacious stable, an open field and an indoor arena for training at any time of the year. It has changing rooms, a rest room
and qualified staff that will help you gain new knowledge and skills in equestrian sports.

The Kushuhum territorial community cooperates with many organizations. Thus, in cooperation with the Sotsialna Vzayemodiya NGO, it, for the first time, took part in a
grant competition from an international donor organized by the ULEAD Programme with Europe and the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) and was
named winner from among more than hundreds of applications.

This project provided ample opportunities for the youth of the community: training programmes from leading trainers of the all-Ukrainian level, arrangement and technical support of the Volunteer Centre of the Kushuhum Community, as well as visual branding of the youth movement in the community. Recently, development specialists of the Kushuhum Settlement Council has taken part in the training programme – Steps for Specialists.

A Business-Friendly Community – which was organized by the ULEAD Programme with Europe. The programme will result in the creation of an Entrepreneurship Development Centre on the territory of the community – a single business space where entrepreneurs will be able to receive not only advice and consultations, but also to resolve the issue of finding the necessary premises, get assistance in receiving all necessary permits and documents, receive
legal and financial advice, take part in workshops and training sessions from successful entrepreneurs.

The production of lime on the territory of Ukraine is the main focus of the Kushuhum industry. The company Industria operates here, which is engaged in the production and sale of lime on the territory of Ukraine. The Kushuhum Lime Plant was organized in 1935. At the moment, the enterprise produces fluxing lime. In order to obtain higher quality products, the technological process of lime production was modernized in 2009-2010. Today, the lime plant is a modern, actively developing enterprise that offers its customers high-quality products and favourable terms of cooperation.

The enterprise is included in the TOP-5 of the National Business Rating of Ukraine in the category: Industry Leader.

There is also a private enterprise operating on the territory of the community, which manufactures marble slabs and granite products, Another area of activity is the production of fuel briquettes, made from sunflower husks, without chemical impurities. This product is environmentally friendly and is used as solid fuel for fireplaces and stoves of any kind, including solid fuel boilers.

Currently, there are 6 educational institutions working in the community.

Residents of the Kushuhum territorial community can receive professional medical care in a modern primary health care centre. The Centre of Culture, Sports and Leisure is successfully functioning on the territory of the community. It is also planned to open a youth hub which will become a kind of cultural, artistic and creative space for young people. The community treasures the memory of fallen soldiers. In all three settlements, there are monuments to the grieving mother, liberating soldiers, fallen pilots, as well as memorial plaques.

On the territory of the community, there is an Administrative Services Centre, a place where you can get the most necessary administrative services.

The most interesting kayak, SUP or canoe routes are located along the Kushuhum flooded area with access to the Kakhovka reservoir. Locals call it the Zaporizhzhia jungle. And Balabyne spit is one of the most favourite places for rest.

Community and War

At the beginning of a large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the issue of safety became the priority of the Kushuhum Settlement Council. First of all, the community authorities worked to ensure that there were no cases of looting, because many houses were left without owners. There was a fear that sabotage-reconnaissance groups would enter the territory of the community, so it was necessary to establish a system of prevention and control, cooperation with the police, monitoring of strangers who appear on the streets of the towns and villages of the community.

The creation of self-defence forces of the community’s population centres was the initiative of a group of caring residents. Then, the public initiative was transformed into a public association, which was later officially registered. Representatives of the self-defence forces train intensively and patrol the territory of the community.

However, this is not enough when enemy missiles are flying. On June 24, August 10 and November 10, Rashists shelled the Kushuhum community. Unfortunately, during one of the attacks, one woman died, many houses were destroyed, and a very large number were damaged. In total, over 100 private houses were damaged in theterritory of the community.
Thousands of Ukrainian families lost their homes and the ability to feed their families during the war. Since the beginning of hostilities, many people have been evacuated to the community. As of December 1, 2022, there are 1,420 internally displaced persons on the territory of the Kushuhum community.

At the beginning of the Russian aggression, a Humanitarian Hub was created on the territory of the community, which is still working today. Humanitarian aid is constantly provided to all internally displaced persons, as well as to community residents who find themselves in difficult life circumstances. For the tenth month, the Humanitarian Hub, together with volunteers, foreign foundations, charitable organizations, with the support of regional deputies, has been working so that every person who currently lives in the territory of the community and who needs help is provided with everything they need. Every month, internally displaced persons, people with disabilities of groups 1 and 2, single mothers, large families, and the elderly +60 receive humanitarian assistance. Also, every family with children under 3 years of age receives baby food, cereals, diapers, hygiene products, and fruit/vegetable purees on a monthly basis.

People of the Community

The Kushuhum territorial community is headed by Volodymyr Sosunovskyi. Working as the Community Head together with a team of like-minded people, he has managed to form a capable and investment-attractive community with restored and preserved social, infrastructural, and cultural assets.

The head of the community personally monitors all work processes in the community. He goes around the territory every day and communicates with people regardless of the hours of reception of citizens. His personal phone number is available to everyone, he responds to situations and solves problems at any time.

Volodymyr Sosunovskyi pays special attention to the development of children and youth, because it is the most important internal investment. He applies the latest tendencies in educational, sports and cultural leisure processes.

Slogan: The Kushuhum community is the community of the European future.

Development Strategy

Work on the development strategy of the Kushuhum settlement territorial community for the period until 2027 is currently at the final stage. Specialists of the Kushuhum Settlement Council and specialists of the Regional Development Agency of the Zaporizhzhia region have been working on it for almost half a year.
The main strategic goals defined by the strategy:
● Development of community infrastructure as a condition for the development
of human capital and improvement of the population’s quality of life.
● Development of youth and education as development of human capital.
● Competitive economy of the community in the regional and national space.
● Harmonious spatial development of the community.
● Environmental safety and conservation of natural resources.

List of Sources

• The photos and information were provided by the Kushuhum Settlement Council of the Zaporizhzhia district, Zaporizhzhia region.