Katerynopil Territorial Community

The Community consists of 21 population centres: 1 urban-type settlement, 19 villages, and 1 settlement.

 History

The Katerynopil Territorial Community was established in 2020 though merging population centres with the rich history. The community’s centre is Katerynopil (Kalnyboloto until 1795). People have lived here for 10 or more thousand years. This is proved by a ritual sanctuary and a stone sacrificial bull found near the village of Kaitanivka, as well as stone grain grinders, hatchets, choppers and other tools. 

The remnants of Trypillian culture settlements (2nd-4th centuries BC) were found on the territory of the Community. 

Kalnyboloto was founded in 1545. The settlement was a part of the Bracław Voivodeship at that time. Polish king Sigismund II Augustus granted its inhabitants a privilege to engage in crafts and trade activities and practice self-government. Another hamlet down the Tikych River received the name Neberybisy. The legends and Cossack chronicles tell that it was founded by a Cossack who called himself Neberybisy, thus giving the name to the village.

During the Liberation War of the Ukrainian people in 1648-1654, Kalnyboloto was a sotnia town in the Korsun Regiment. After the Truce of Andrusovo in 1667, Kalnyboloto returned under the Polish control. Social, national, and religious discrimination from the Polish landlords caused the inhabitants’ anger and made them struggle for their freedom. The Kalnyboloto peasants participated actively in the Haidamak movement on Right-bank Ukraine. Kalnyboloto runaways joined the New Sich after its foundation in 1734 on the banks of the Pidpylna River. They created the Kalnyboloto kurin (unit of Cossack troop), and its history is still honoured today.

The children’s and youth organization “Cossack Kurin” functions at the educational centre in the village of Viknyne. Its main goals are: to form nationally conscious Ukrainian citizens; to continue Cossack customs and traditions in the current conditions; and to inspire everyone to develop the best features of the Ukrainian patriot.

The Katerynopil area has a lot of interesting historical events and places. The Katerynopil Local History Museum can interest history lovers. The museum’s exhibitions reveal the past and present of Katerynopil and its neighbourhoods. The museum’s collection has 750 artefacts. They cover the regional history, local customs and traditions.

There are 15 religious centres of different confessions in the Community. They include the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, the Evangelical Baptist Christians, the Full Gospel Church “Life in Christ”, the Christian Church “Life in Christ” and the Seventh-day Adventists Church.

Economy and Welfare

The Katerynopil Territorial Community is the agricultural neighbourhood. The Community has about 80 farms and agricultural enterprises that cover an area of 23 thousand hectares.

The agricultural business specializes mainly in growing grain and technical crops. Some farms are also engaged in animal husbandry. There are no big industrial enterprises in the Community. At the same time, there are unused lands here. They can be considered as a reserve for increasing the community’s industrial potential. An on-going issue is the re-launch of the LLC “Mokrokalyhirskyi Lignite Open-Cut” in the village of Lysycha Balka.

Entrepreneurial activity is rapidly developing in the Community. Many local businessmen are developing the consumer sector.

There are more than thousand business entities in the Community.

The Community is known for its creative amateur folklore groups, including four with the “People’s” title. Local needlewomen, craftsmen, artists, and children sports teams were named winners of regional and republican competitions many times.

The Community has the fire department located in the village of Lysycha Balka. It provides fire protection on the territory of both the Katerynopil and the neighbouring Mokra Kalyhirka Territorial Communities.

Community and War

The Katerynopil Territorial Community was horrified when the war started. Nevertheless, its members united to help the Ukrainian soldiers and internally displaced persons. 

The volunteer movement has been developing in the Community since the very beginning of the war. People of all ages became volunteers. The local agricultural business, entrepreneurs, NGOs, and activists also joined this movement.

They organized a humanitarian aid distribution point at the Centre for Social Services of the Katerynopil Settlement Council. A powerful volunteer centre “From Heart to Heart” was established and is still operating at the Public Library of the Settlement Council. People did their best to help everyone who was in need. 

The staff of the Katerynopil Settlement Council started donating one day’s salary to a non-governmental organization that works closely with the local volunteer centre. Their donations have exceeded UAH 500,000. 

The volunteers were financially supported by agricultural manufacturers, sympathetic community members, also those from abroad.  

The money was used to buy everything necessary for the soldiers, to prepare the humanitarian cargo and to support the internally displaced persons (more than 1,500 people at the beginning of the war) in the Community.  

Also, volunteers support the families of the killed soldiers, the old people and families in difficult life circumstances. 

The Community is located in the centre of Ukraine and, luckily, was not damaged. Almost 500 community members are defending the country on the frontline. Unfortunately, 27 of them were killed and 9 are missing in the war. 

The Centre for Social Services of the Katerynopil Settlement Council cooperates with various religious organizations in order to help internally displaced persons living in the Community.

The Centre for Social Services of the Katerynopil Settlement Council also has a department of the modern centre for intellectual and creative development “Krok Nazustrich”. Its personnel made 79 load carrying vests for Ukrainian soldiers. 

Community People

Volodymyr Kovalenko (born in 1960) is the Settlement Head of Katerynopil

The Territorial Community has implemented the Modern Dance Hall project under Volodymyr Kovalenko’s leadership. The renovated dance hall for children and adults was opened in the Katerynopil House of Culture.

The community created the “Modern Centre for Intellectual and Creative Development “Krok Nazustrich” to create daytime activities for adults with disabilities and the retired persons. Here they learn sewing and computer skills. There are also other educational and entertainment activities.  

The department has a donated bank of clothes, shoes and other essential items. It also provides free services related to small clothing repairs.   

A large-scale sports festival was held in the Katerynopil Territorial Community. It was initiated by the local entrepreneur and supported by the Charitable Foundation and the Ukrainian Nordic Walking Federation. During the festival, a new national record for the largest number of participants was registered.

 Development Strategy

The Katerynopil Settlement Council has developed and approved the Katerynopil Territorial Community Development Strategy for 2021-2027. Its purposes are: to improve the welfare of the community’s population; to increase the comfort, quality of life and education of its residents; to develop the economy and its competitiveness; to create the community’s positive image and to use its resources and opportunities more efficiently.

The Strategy consists of 4 key operational areas, intended to implement 20 projects. The most relevant of them are as follows:

1. Support for projects on rural green tourism in the Katerynopil Territorial Community
2. Facilitating and supporting the agricultural cooperation development in the Katerynopil Territorial Community
3. Stimulating the entrepreneurial activity by establishing an effective system of advisory and legal assistance for business entities
4. Reconstruction of the Administrative Services Centre of the Katerynopil Settlement Council
5. Support for local commodity producers’ projects in modernization, production renovation, infrastructure renewal and implementation of the newest production technologies 
6. Development of product manufacturing and processing
7. Overhaul of the premises of the Katerynopil Child Development Centre “Sonechko”  (Katerynopil, 10a Naberezhny Lane)
8. Implementation of energy saving activities in the social infrastructure facilities
9. Creating conditions for the promotion and development of renewable energy in the Community
10. Placement of solar energy capacities in the Katerynopil Community

List of Sources

Official website of the Katerynopil Territorial Community

Official Facebook page of the Katerynopil Territorial Community

Passport of the Katerynopil Territorial Community as of 01.01.2023

Katerynopil Territorial Community Development Strategy for 2021-2027

Photos from the archive of the Katerynopil Settlement Council