Blyznyukivska Territorial Community

History

The administrative center is the village of Blyznyuky, the first mentions date back to 1863. It was first mentioned in 1859 in the list of settlements of Pavlohrad district, Ekaterinoslav province, that on the left side of the Kharkiv-Rostov tract two villages Blyznyuky-1 and Blyznyuky-2 were laid out.

The Blyznyuky settlement council is located in the steppe zone, so there are prospects for the development of “green tourism”. On the territory of the district there are 401 archaeological monuments, 71 historical monuments, one architectural monument – the Holy Kazan Church in the village of Alekseyevka, a functioning church, a stone Orthodox church in the style of classicism.

An architectural monument of local importance of the late 19th century, built by the landowner Oleksienko in the village of Alekseyevka, Pavlohrad district (now Blyznyuky district)

The geographical feature of the Blyznyukivska community is its location at the crossroads of three regions and equidistant from three regional centers: the cities of Kharkiv, Dnipro and Donetsk. The area is known for its picturesque steppe landscapes and rich flora and fauna. Tourists may be interested in ethnographic museums and local holidays. The community has significant historical and cultural potential.

Economy and Welfare

The Blyznyukivska territorial community, predominantly agricultural, has significant advantages for the development of local business and the economy. A favorable climate and modern agricultural technologies ensure high yields and stable income for farmers and agricultural enterprises, which makes products competitive in the market.

There are 311 legal entities registered in the Blyznyukivska community, most of which represent small and medium-sized businesses. Active entrepreneurial activity ensures economic development, although it is accompanied by certain challenges.

Among the largest employers are “Kolos”, “LAN”, “Komunalnik”, Blyznyukivska Central District Hospital, “Volodymyrivske” and the agricultural firm “Berestivska”. These enterprises provide work from 50 to 150 people each, supporting the stability and development of the community.

The agricultural sector is the driving force of the local economy, thanks to fertile lands that occupy 92% of the territory. In addition, there are significant land plots for investment (over 3 thousand hectares), suitable for the construction of solar power plants, warehouse complexes, industrial zones, etc.

The real driver of community development is a developed medical infrastructure and high-quality medical services.

Medical care in the community is provided by a well-developed network of health care facilities, in particular the Blyznyukivska Hospital. In addition to the standard set of medical services (therapy, surgery, pediatrics, etc.), the hospital offers specialized services, such as palliative care and rehabilitation. The availability of modern equipment and experienced staff makes the hospital attractive to both local residents and patients from other regions.

Priority areas of cooperation are improving the quality of medical services to international standards, introducing new treatment methods, promoting the exchange of practical experience, rehabilitation training programs for medical personnel, and improving safety and accessibility for all residents.

A project to build a civil defense facility on the territory of the hospital is currently underway. Capacity up to 500 people.

The educational institutions of the community include kindergartens and schools, which provide education and development of children and youth. The community education system includes 7 lyceums and 4 branches, where 1,454 students study, 90 of whom have IDP status. Due to the security situation, all institutions have switched to distance learning (59%) or blended learning (41%). Full-time education is currently not conducted.

The implementation of a project to build a civil defense shelter with a capacity of up to 400 people is also underway on the territory of the Blyznyukiv Lyceum.

The community’s Inclusive Resource Center supports families with children with special needs and teachers. There are 30 inclusive classes in schools and 9 in preschools, with 36 and 24 children, respectively.

Priority areas of cooperation are borrowing best practices in managing educational networks and overcoming learning losses, diversifying preschool services, adapting schools to work in wartime, building protective structures for schools and kindergartens, creating digital learning spaces in shelters, and strengthening teachers’ capacity to provide quality education in crisis situations.

Близнюківська громада активно підтримує спорт, що сприяє формуванню здорового способу життя серед молоді і покращенню результатів на змаганнях.

У громаді спостерігається позитивна динаміка в розвитку спорту та досягненнях спортсменів. Основні моменти:

Дитячо-юнацька спортивна школа: у 2024 році діють 5 відділень: футбол, волейбол, велосипедний спорт, пауерліфтинг і гирьовий спорт. Спортсмени громади демонструють гарні результати на обласних та окружних змаганнях.

Чемпіонати: Близнюківська команда займає призові місця у змаганнях, зокрема друге загальнокомандне місце на чемпіонаті Харківської області.

Індивідуальні успіхи: Вихованці школи, Герасимов Єгор і Шудров В’ячеслав (майстер спорту міжнародного класу, який здобув медалі на чемпіонаті світу, стали Чемпіонами Європи та світу з гирьового спорту серед юніорів і дорослих.

One of the bright, significant and important events for the community was the premiere of the Ukrainian film “Luxembourg. Luxembourg” on the red carpet in Blyznyuki (the main roles of the film are twin brothers Amil and Ramil Nasirov). Blyznyuki residents had the opportunity to meet the film’s director and the performers of the main roles – fellow villagers Ramil and Amil Nasirov, who are among the most active volunteers in the country.

The brothers gained fame as soloists of the “Kurgan and Aggregate” group – a Ukrainian hip-hop group that uses Surzhyk and Slobozhan dialect in their lyrics. They actively support the Ukrainian military, conducted a European tour, collecting over 14 million hryvnias for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Currently, the group is planning an all-Ukrainian tour to further support the defenders of Ukraine. Yevhen Volodchenko, one of the participants of “Kurgan..” – in the recent past – a fighter of the Kraken Special Unit.

The Blyznyukiv band “Zabava” from the village of Uplatnoye became the real opening of the international festival “Sea of ​​Rhythms”, which took place in the resort town of Balchik, Bulgaria.

Community and War

On February 24, 2022, the Blyznyukivska community, like most Ukrainian communities, faced the challenges of a full-scale Russian invasion. All development plans were immediately suspended, as life changed dramatically in a matter of seconds.

The village council switched to a regime of 24-hour support for the defenders of Ukraine, internally displaced persons, and local residents who found themselves in a difficult situation. From the first days of the war, residents of the Blyznyukivska community rushed to defend their homeland from Russian aggression. More than 310 men are today defending Ukraine in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. To date, 82 soldiers from the community have died, there are also missing and seriously injured.

The community pays great attention to helping internally displaced persons. Since the beginning of the war, more than 4,000 internally displaced persons have found shelter in the Blyznyukivska community.

The community is looking for opportunities to attract funding for the implementation of the project on the Reconstruction of the former Dormitory building for the needs of internally displaced persons. The project involves the reconstruction of a two-story non-residential building into a residential building for 12 apartments with built-in non-residential buildings: a pharmacy and a shop.

This is a modern space for the community to come together, created to help those affected by the war and support our defenders.
The idea of ​​a recovery and resource hub arose to help those affected by the war and support our defenders. The village is gathering around the events of the future space.

As a sign of respect for the fallen Heroes, 40 cherry blossoms were planted.
Currently, together with the families of the fallen heroes, a concept for a Memorial is being developed, which is planned to be built next to the Park.

Community People

Korol Gennady has held the position of Blyznyukiv village head since April 2006. For four convocations, he has been the main official in the system of local government bodies of the Blyznyukiv community.

Vyshyvanka Day, before the full-scale invasion. A cultural event with the participation of community residents, amateurs, and employees of other institutions

Development Strategy

The basis for the effective activities of the Blyznyukivska community is strategic planning. Since 2024, the community has been participating in the Surge Project, updating the Development Strategy until 2027, taking into account the challenges of the war.
The goal is to ensure a comfortable life, business development and efficient use of resources.

Priorities:

1. Medicine: expanding the list of services, improving staff qualifications, updating equipment (mammography, X-ray), creating barrier-free access.
2. Social protection: programs to support families, the elderly, orphans; creating mobile groups to help in remote villages.
3. Infrastructure: developing services, transparency of management, involving residents in decision-making.
4. Economy: supporting business, attracting investments, creating a community brand.

The community strives to become a stable region with high-quality living conditions for all residents.

Development prospects:

• Expansion of the agricultural sector:
  further development of agriculture, including processing of agricultural products and creation of cooperatives, organic production.
• Support for small and medium-sized businesses:
  creation of favorable conditions for the development of small and medium-sized businesses in various areas (consultations and creation of business incubators).
• Attracting investments:
  actively attracting investments for the development of infrastructure and new industries, cooperation with international partners.
• Logistics potential:
  transforming the community into a modern logistics hub due to its advantageous geographical location, development of industrial parks and modernization of transport infrastructure will contribute to attracting investments and economic growth of the region.

Sources

• Interview with community representatives
• Official website of the Blyznyukiv community – https://bliznjuki-selrada.gov.ua/
• Facebook page of the Blyznyukiv community https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063652911538&locale=uk_UA
• Regional Media “Sloboda Region”
• Local Media “New Life”
• Kharkiv.Public