Balaklia Territorial Community

History

Balaklia was never a settlement where mainly one branch of production developed. The people of Balaklia grew bread, cattle, sheep, goats, and poultry, distilled vodka, were engaged in crafts – shoemaking, weaving, tailoring, blacksmithing, and pottery.

Founded in 1663 by the Cossack chieftain Yakiv Chernihivets, it has preserved its unique Cossack spirit and has many historical monuments.

Balaklia is not only an industrial center, but also a town with developed infrastructure, education and culture. There are museums that preserve the history of the region, and the architecture of the town combines different styles and eras.

Trade was especially popular – in the center of Balaklia, a so-called shopping row was built: a number of good-quality, brick shops, where mainly craftspeople’s products were sold. A bazaar was constantly working nearby, where visitors could buy food products for any taste.

Every year, five fairs were held in Balaklia, the scale of which reached the level of all-European ones. Merchants from Poland, Germany, Crimea, Wallachia, and the Caucasus traded here. Local residents were the owners and managers of huge trades. Trade stimulated the development of production.

Economy and Welfare

The most developed branches of the community’s economy before the full-scale invasion were agriculture, manufacturing industry, transport, warehousing, postal and courier activities, and trade. 

The economy of Balaklia was diverse and powerful. There were 8 industrial enterprises, including such giants as Balcem and Henkel Bautechnik. Balcem specialized in the production of cement, which was highly valued in the construction market due to its high quality. Henkel Bautechnik, in turn, was one of the leading manufacturers of construction mixtures and adhesives, providing the Ukrainian market with modern materials for construction and repair.

Both enterprises had a significant impact on the development of the town and the region, providing jobs and contributing to economic growth.

Along with them, 34 agricultural enterprises, 26 farms and 185 private enterprises worked successfully in the community. The developed infrastructure ensured a comfortable life for the residents of Balaklia.

In the Balaklia community, there are 19 institutions of general secondary education, where more than 4,100 students studied, and 8 institutions of preschool education seating almost 1,100 children.

The hospital and the Primary Medical and Sanitary Care Center with 23 structural subdivisions, which included 11 outpatient clinics and 12 medical and obstetrical stations, provided high-quality medical care. And 45 cultural, sports and health facilities created conditions for recreation and development.

The Balaklia-based branch of HENKEL BAUTECHNIK (Ukraine) resumed its work on the territory of the community after de-occupation. Employees of the State Emergency Service are working on the disposal of explosive objects every day.

Gas, water, and electricity supplies have been restored in all Starosta-headed districts. Mobile and Internet communication services are also now available.

Community and War

Balaklia is a military and industrial town 90 kilometers southeast of Kharkiv. russian troops captured it on March 2, 2022. The town was under occupation for more than six months. During this time, the occupiers treated local residents mercilessly – tortured civilians, burned people alive, killed residents who tried to leave, shelled the hospital where the sick were, looted and destroyed property, children slept in basements, civilians disappeared every day.

On September 8, after almost 200 days of russian occupation, the Ukrainian military again installed the Ukrainian flag over the main administrative building of the town of Balaklia. This town became the first large population center that was liberated by the Ukrainian army during a large-scale counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region.

During the retreat, the russian troops abandoned their positions and fled deep into the temporarily occupied territories or even into the territory of the russian federation. The occupiers left behind not only heavy equipment, but also cars, shells and high-tech weapons. They chose to take the loot instead.

During the six months under occupation, more than 3,400 private houses and more than 200 high-rise buildings, 15 schools, 6 kindergartens, communal infrastructure facilities, and medical facilities were destroyed or damaged by rocket attacks in the Balaklia community. Unfortunately, the community lost civilians.

At this moment, many charitable foundations and organizations came to the aid of the Balaklia community. The community cooperated in the areas of charitable assistance related to the restoration of residential buildings, the social sphere, critical infrastructure, the provision of food products, construction materials, medical equipment, medical services, firewood, stoves, hygiene products, medicines, clothing, and food.

Kharkiv Regional Military Administration

Despite the significant needs for the restoration of the housing stock, community institutions and facilities and landscape, assistance to the military of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is a priority of the Balaklia Urban Military Administration.

In just 6 months of the current year 2024, assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine by the Balaklia community amounted to over UAH 11.8 million. The staff of the Balaklia Town Council constantly tries to support Ukrainian defenders. One such example is the transfer of one day’s salary to the account of a charitable foundation for the purchase of a motor vehicle, quadcopters, tablets and other necessary equipment.

In the current year, the residents have provided the Ukrainian defenders with equipment and vehicles. In addition, the residents of the Balaklia community do not let the Ukrainian military forget the comfort of home warmth by constantly donating food.

People of the Community

On October 4, 13 military administrations were created in the Kharkiv region. Thus, by order of the President of Ukraine, Vitalii Karabanov was appointed to the position of head of the Balaklia Urban Military Administration of the Izyum district, Kharkiv region.

In Balaklia, in the park of the Defenders of Ukraine, the Alley of Glory of the fallen compatriot Heroes who gave their lives defending our Ukraine from a hostile neighbor has been established.

The names and photos of 40 Heroes whose lives were cut short by the war are engraved on the Memorial Boards.

The world learned about Balaklia as a result of a fire and explosions at a military ammunition warehouse on March 23, 2017.

A 7-kilometer border was organized around the fire zone, the territory within a radius of 50 km was declared an emergency zone.

More than 500 people and 150 pieces of equipment, including 330 firefighters and 55 fire trucks were involved in liquidation of the consequences of the fire.

Due to the fire, the evacuation of the population of the town and the villages adjacent to the military depots began. As a result of the fire, railway traffic through the Balaklia station was stopped, highways were closed around the town, the sky was closed for airplanes within a radius of 40 km around the epicenter of the fire, Kharkivgaz cut off the town’s gas supply.

As a result of the accident, 1 woman died, 4 more people were injured. 265 buildings were damaged, including 231 residential buildings (114 private and 117 apartment buildings), 22 infrastructure and industrial facilities, 12 social facilities, including 2 schools and 2 kindergartens.

Development Strategy

The draft Strategy for the Development of the Balaklia Urban Territorial Community of Kharkiv Region for 2024-2027 has been prepared (under the consultancy support of The USAID Program, “Decentralization Offering Better Results and Efficiency” (DOBRE) and the Jerzy Regulski Foundation in Support of Local Democracy (FRDL)).

Strategic goals:

1. Implementation of energy decentralization in the community using renewable energy sources at critical and social infrastructure facilities (“green” energy)
2. Environmental safety and modernization of the solid waste management system in the community
3. Ensuring the availability of quality services for the supply of safe drinking water, construction and reconstruction of centralized drinking water supply and drainage systems using the latest technologies and equipment
4. Carrying out emergency restoration works of multi-apartment residential buildings and assets of the social sphere, which were damaged as a result of the russian armed aggression.

List of Sourc es

• Official website of the Balaklia Urban Military Administration
• Official Facebook page of the Balaklia Urban Military Administration
• Official Telegram page of the Balaklia Urban Military Administration