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Chernechchyna Territorial Community
Sumy
Population:
The Chernechchyna Territorial Community is located in the territory of the Okhtyrka District in the Sumy Region.
The total area of the territory is 582.70 km2.
The population of the Community totals 13,353 residents.
Women: 7,353 residents
Men: 6,000 residents
Internally displaced persons: 3,113 people
The Community consists of thirty-two settlements. The administrative centre of the Community is located in the village of Chernechchyna.
History
Founded in the second half of the 17th century, the village of Chernechchyna stretched on the right bank of the Vorskla River nine kilometres away from the district centre. Archaeological excavations nearby prove that the first settlers there were people of the Stone Age. The largest settlement was Demydiv Buhor near the village of Zhuravne. This is a landmark of the fortification of the Northern tribes in the 9th – 11th centuries and in the 17th century.
Chernechchyna was settled by the serfs of the Holy Trinity Monastery, which owned the lands around the village. After the reform of 1861, the peasants received small pieces of land.
This land was not sufficient and poor peasants were forced to work on monastery lands. The wealthier ones bought plots planted with forests, then the trees were uprooted and on these plots they grew beets, wheat, corn, sunflowers, and also planted hemp, which was used to make yarn.
In the middle of the 19th century, the rapid development of the sugar industry began in the Okhtyrka District as well as throughout Ukraine. In November 1987, the Ivanivska Research and Breeding Station was founded by sugar factory owner Pavlo Kharytonenko. It was one of the first agricultural institutions created to develop and deal with practical breeding issues.
Another beauty of the Chernechchyna area is the Hetman National Natural Park. Various typical landscapes of the Left Bank forest-steppe zone are preserved there – from lowland floodplains, sphagnum swamps to relict forests.
The course of the Vorskla River forms an interesting and informative route from these natural and historical sites, flowing from the ancient Scythian barrows through the impressive Bakyrivski Plains, the protected relict Lithuanian Bir, Chernechchyna Shrines, emerald Khukhrianski meadows and Lutyshchenski velvet forests.
Economy and Welfare
35 enterprises, 22 farms and 254 individual entrepreneurs operate in the territory of the Community. Their key activities include agriculture, forestry, mining, service provision, and retail trade.
The Community itself contributes to the development of green tourism because it has a significant tourist potential formed by its natural diversity, the existence of historical, archaeological and architectural landmarks as well as a convenient geographical location and developed road logistics.
The industry in the Community is represented by the food and wood processing branches.
For instance, Okhtyrkanaftogaz (Ukrnafta PJSC) extracts oil in the territory of the Community; it has special permits to use the subsoil of the Buhruvatske Deposit, which is the largest oil field not only at Ukrnafta, but in Ukraine as well.
Okhtyrka Dairy Industrial Company “Slavia” LLC is one of the largest milk processing enterprises in the Sumy Region. Today, it is a modern, progressive enterprise that manufactures high-quality products as evidenced by many awards granted at specialized exhibitions and contests, as well as popular recognition.
The agro-industrial complex of the Chernechchyna Territorial Community is one of the leading branches of the Community’s economy, which impacts the level and quality of life of the population, the stable operation of industries that consume agricultural products.
The Chernechchyna Territorial Community is located in the forest-steppe area on the terraces of the Vorskla, Okhtyrka and Khukhra Rivers, as a result of which it actually possesses health and recreational resources. This potential of the Community is best reflected by Slavna Cottage Park, one of the leaders of tourist services in the region.
Community and War
From the first day of the full-scale invasion, the settlements of the Community were destroyed by air raids and artillery shelling. As a result of a rocket attack, the building of the Khukhra Hospital was completely destroyed, and during the bombing of downtown Okhtyrka, the architectural landmark of the Culture and Leisure Centre of the Chernechchyna Village Council was seriously damaged.
Agricultural and farm holdings in the village have also suffered devastating blows. Bakyrivka, Khukhra, Korabelske, Chernechchyna, residential buildings, an educational institution in the village of Vysoke.
Since the beginning of the full-scale war, the Chernechchyna Village Council and the Community have been working for victory and supporting Ukrainian defenders in all possible ways. The residents of the Community, the staff of the Starosta-headed districts and social workers collect food, medicines, hygiene products and other necessary things, make various goodies, camouflage nets; hold charity competitions, concerts, eco-patriotic campaigns in support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Millions of hryvnias have been transferred from the budget of the Chernechchyna Village Council to strengthen the defence capability and provide aid to the defenders, namely:
- aid to military units, border guards in the form of subvention;
- funds for military transport;
- improve the material support of the Voluntary Formation of the Territorial Chernechchyna Community;
- funds for the purchase of drones, drone detectors, tablets and other equipment for the military.
People of the Community
Roman Bublyk, an experienced manager, runs the Chernechchyna Community. Having experience in management positions at the Okhtyrka District State Administration and the District Council, a strategic vision and an effective team, he is focused on the economic, infrastructural, cultural and social development of the Community.
The team of the Village Council and local activists have established partnerships with local businesses, Ukrainian and international partners. This proved important during the full-scale russian invasion of Ukraine. After all, the Community has suffered serious destruction.
For example, the WHO in partnership with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the Humanitarian Fund for Ukraine (UHF) have installed a modular primary medical care clinic on the site of the destroyed outpatient clinic. It will work as an outpatient facility and provide primary medical care to more than three thousand people.
During the full-scale war, the staff of the culture centres channelled their need for creativity to help the Armed Forces of Ukraine, starting a charitable patriotic and artistic campaign “Army protects – the people helps!”. With the help of an incredible combination of Ukrainian words and songs, the stage masters have raised over UAH 200,000. Necessary things for our defenders are constantly purchased using these funds; in particular, two cars, a freezer, an electric generator, etc. have been purchased.
Libraries, in addition to traditional library services, implement a number of innovative projects.
In 2020, the Prostir youth centre was established in the community to engage in active grant activities and implement interesting projects such as Zmistovno Educational Centres for Children with the support of The Howard G. Buffett Foundation and NOVA UKRAINE Charity Funds, Informal Education Centres with the financial support of USAID, etc. As part of the -1435+ regional youth forum, the Community was recognized as one of the best youth communities in the Sumy Region.
Development Strategy
The Chernechchyna Community works for the future. Its vision of solving various tasks was reflected in sustainable development documents: “Action plan for sustainable energy development and climate of the Chernechchyna United Territorial Community until 2030”, “Mobility Plan of the Chernechchyna Village Council until 2030” and “Charter of the Territorial Community”.
Today, the Community, together with the experts of the U-LEAD with Europe Program, is drafting the Development Strategy of the Chernechchyna Territorial Community until 2027.
The main priorities of the Community are: safety, development of economic potential and improvement of the quality of life of its residents.
List of Sources
- Official website of the Chernechchyna Community
- uk.wikipedia.org
- Hetman National Natural Park
- Sad PJSC
- Okhtyrka Forest Husbandry branch of the Forests of Ukraine State Company
- Slavna cottage park
- Okhtyrka Dairy Industrial Company “Slavia” LLC