Tarashcha Territorial Community

History

The Tarashcha neighbourhood has a thousand-year history. Its origins date back to the time of the Scythian state, as evidenced by ancient mounds near the villages of Bovkun, Chernyn, and Kyrdany. Archaeological findings – a Cimmerian riveted bronze cauldron and a bronze axe of the Late Bronze Age – have significant scientific and cultural value. Near the village of Kivshovata, there are two mounds of Scythian times – Bezimennyky and Podolyanka (V-IV centuries BC).

Historical documents of the late period, dating back to the 17th century, indicate that there was a grove on the site of the modern town. So, according to legend, the town got its name “ta roshcha” (English – this grove). At the same time, the etymology of the word “Tarashcha” is interpreted by some specialists as Sumerian: “the one that is closest to the sun.”

The town of Tarashcha was founded by Colonel Blindovsky who was given these lands by King August II for his services in the war with the Swedes in 1709. People from Polissia, fleeing from serfdom, settled here. In 1722, the settlement gained the privilege of a town and residents were allowed to hold trade fairs.

  Architecture

At the beginning of the 19th century, the town was made the district centre. It was then that a whole complex of administrative buildings in the Soviet Empire style was built in Tarashcha, most of which are historical and artistic monuments that are still preserved today. Among the outstanding buildings is the Tarashcha Roman Catholic Church of Mary Magdalene. In Soviet times, a music school was opened on its premises, which is still functioning today. 

Erected in 1748, the wooden three-part church of Alexander has also been preserved to date Nevsky in the village of Dubivka of the Tarashcha community.

A popular photo zone for tourists and a beautiful addition to the ancient monuments is the fire department, which has been operating in Tarashcha since the 19th century. The fire tower looks especially spectacular.

Among the famous figures of the Tarashcha community is the world-class Ukrainian composer Mykola Lysenko. It was here, that he worked as an amiable compositeur in 1865–1867, immediately after graduating from the Kyiv University. Mykola Lysenko’s father, Vitaly Romanovych, also served here in Tarashcha as an officer of the dragoon regiment. During this period, the Lysenkos actively collected folklore and published a research work entitled: “On historical preferences in the tastes and fashions of folk clothing in the Skvyra and Tarashcha counties.”

The Tarashcha neighbourhood has natural, climatic and recreational resources for the growth of rural green tourism and conditions for the development of religious tourism. The most significant religious sights are: the holy healing spring of the Repose of the Blessed Virgin in the village of Rizhky, the Women’s Monastery in honour of the Holy Royal Martyrs, the icon painting school in the village of Kyslivka, and the underground monastery in the village of Buda.

There are 4 objects of the nature reserve fund with a total area of 371.42 hectares on the territory of the Tarashcha neighbourhood.

Economy and Welfare

The economic development of the Tarashcha neighbourhood has a tendency for stable growth thanks to the efficient and unceasing work of both enterprises of various industries and forms of ownership at large and each resident individually. The leading sector of activities of the community population is agricultural production. The agro-industrial complex of the community includes 72 enterprises. Main industries: cultivation of grain and oil crops, dairy cattle breeding and pig breeding.

35 enterprises are engaged in the production and sale of industrial products, with the leading ones being: the “Ekorm” plant and the “Budkom” trading house.

Community and War

From the first day of the war, internally displaced persons and relatives of local residents, who were fleeing the war, began to arrive in the community.

A volunteer centre of the town council was created at the Tarashcha Town House of Culture, where material and psychological support is provided to all those who need it.

Local residents also joined their efforts to help our defenders. People began to gather and help volunteers make Molotov cocktails, trench candles, camouflage nets, military clothing, equipment, and food for the military.

A sewing workshop has been established on the territory of the community, which actively manufactures and hands over belt-shoulder systems, old-style tactical harnesses, trunks, raincoats, helmet covers, tactical knee pads and other necessary clothing and equipment to the defenders of Ukraine.

In July 2022, a military-patriotic education for young people was held in the Tarashcha urban territorial community. More than 30 boys and girls from Tarashcha and Tetiyiv communities became its participants. The children were divided into three teams and took turns to receive instruction in tactical medicine and assembly and disassembly of weapons. Also, a practical session was held on lost-proofing, camouflage, training and practice in the basics of topography. A lot of time was devoted to the youth’s ability to properly use weapons, tactics of fighting, evacuation of the wounded from the battlefield.

Military operations were not carried out on the territory of the Tarashcha neighbourhood, so infrastructure facilities were not destructed as a result of the Russian military aggression. However, the community needs both financial and material assistance to support IDPs, local residents and the development of the community as a whole, since the community’s own funds are insufficient.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Tarashcha urban territorial community has taken in more than 20,000 internally displaced persons of various age groups and social status. To date, the community has 8,293 internally displaced persons and continues to host forced migrants, therefore there is a constant need in humanitarian aid for this category of population.

People of the Community

Mykhailo Kryvosheev, the Head of the community, has held the position of the town’s Mayor since 2020. He follows modern trends and is not afraid of challenges or new beginnings. A lawyer by education, he was born and raised in the town of Tarashcha, and therefore has first-hand knowledge about the needs of his native community.

The Tarashcha neighbourhood is also rich in talented amateur artists, who are the hallmark of the community.

A folk amateur wind orchestra “Harmony” of the KivshovatOrchestra “Harmonia”a Village House of Culture (Artistic Director – Serhiy Neduzhiy);Orchestra “Harmonia”

Athletes from the Tarashcha neighbourhood are no less famous.

Under the leadership of Vitaliy Korolevych, the sports club “Chest” operates in the town of Tarashcha, where hand-to-hand combat and martial arts are taught. Members of the club won regional and All-Ukrainian competitions many times.

Pupils of Oleksandr Buzynnyi repeatedly became champions and prize-winners in athletics.

Students of the fine arts studio “Palitra” have also gained international recognition. Pupils of Ludmila Burlii create extraordinary paintings not only with the help of paints, but also with coffee, participate in all-Ukrainian and international exhibitions. On the eve of Ukraine’s Independence Day, the exposition-presentation “My Ukraine” by 17-year-old Evhenia Nosenko went to Japan to participate in the 106th NIKA ART EXHIBITION 2022 International Exhibition.

The artist from the Tarashcha neighbourhood Ioanna Derevyanchuk won in the “Applied and Fine Arts” category of the 8th International Arts Festival and Competition “Talent Fest-2020”.

The inhabitants of Tarashcha neighbourhood are friendly and always hospitable. Since the beginning of the war, they have been protecting, free of charge, people who were forced to leave their homes trying to do everything to make those fleeing the war feel comfortable in the community.

 Development Strategy

The Tarashcha town authorities, together with active citizens, are constantly working to ensure comfortable and safe living conditions in the community. The full-scale Russian invasion forced them to adapt to the realities of martial law and do everything possible for the comfort and safety of the residents of all of Ukraine. Critical infrastructure facilities need priority support. But the plans of the local government include the implementation of the following projects:

– retrofitting bomb shelters of educational institutions and preschool educational institutions;

– reconstruction of the Tarashcha town stadium and construction of a modern sports and entertainment complex;

– installation of a solar power plant system on the roof of the Municipal Non-Commercial Enterprise of the Tarashcha Town Council –  “Tarashcha Town Hospital”;

– reconstruction of the water supply and drainage system;

– construction of a sorting line at the solid waste landfill in the town of Tarashcha.

– creation of additional jobs. There is a large number of vacant premises and land plots on the territory of Tarashcha neighbourhood, which can be used both by potential investors and for business relocation purposes. Namely: a complex for the production of poultry products with a hatchery station in the town of Tarashcha, a plot of land for the construction of an elevator, plots of land for the construction of solar power plants, industrial plots, empty premises of educational, cultural institutions and shops. These assets have been waiting for a potential investor for over a year.

List of Sources

• Passport of the community
• Strategic environmental assessment of the Programme of Socio-Economic and Cultural Development of the Tarashcha Urban Territorial Community for 2023-2024
• Cities and villages of Ukraine, Kyiv region (book two), Kyiv, 2010
• mapio.net
• facebook.com
• ukrainaincognita.com
• facebook.com
• facebook.com/GarmoniyaOrchestra  
• travels.in.ua
• landmarks.in.ua
• agroportal.ua