Chernihivka Territorial Community

History

The area began to be inhabited 100 to 40 thousand years ago. In the 7th century BC, the territory was inhabited by nomadic tribes, who founded the first state entity in Eastern Europe – Scythia. There are barrows all over the territory of the Community, partially ploughed in the 1960s and 1970s.

The first agricultural settlements of the Slavs emerged there in the first centuries of our era. In the 9th century, the lands of the Community were part of the Kyivan Rus.

At the end of the 1770s, the territory began to be actively inhabited to form the modern Chernihivka District. In addition to Ukrainians, the tsarist government resettled Germans who founded a number of colonies there. German Mennonites settled along the left bank of the Molochna River, where they founded a number of localities.

The historical and cultural complex “Mennonite Manor” is an eloquent proof of the existence of the German-Mennonite community in the territory. It is a Mennonite house built at the beginning of the 19th century and preserved in its original form along with a rainwater basin and several outbuildings. Stone tools, stone products, authentic furniture, agricultural implements, and household items are exhibited there. Of great interest is the collection of agricultural implements – manual and horse-drawn, which were manufactured in Mennonite factories and used during agricultural works. In addition, a collection of roof tiles (about 100 types), bricks, stone troughs, boundary stones, etc. has been collected.

This museum is an international tourism site visited by Mennonites from the United States of America, Canada, Germany, Brazil, Argentina and other countries.

The central settlement of the Community, i.e. Chernihivka, was founded in 1783 by immigrants from the Chernihiv Voivodeship of the Kingdom of Poland.

The economy of the district was based on agriculture and cattle breeding. In the late 19th century, local industry began to develop, as well as education and medicine.

Most popular tourist attractions of the Community include the Park of large megalithic stones “Scythian State”.

This park is one of the few in the world and the only one in Ukraine, located on the top and slopes of Mount Oba-Tash. According to scientific and geographical publications, the age of the rocks of this mountain reaches almost three billion years. The slopes of Mount Oba-Tash have never been ploughed, and therefore represent a real virgin steppe. There are many types of vegetation there listed in the Red Book.

The granite quarry near the village of Stulievo, with a depth of up to 80 meters, is an attractive place for family vacations and nature lovers. In addition, the quarry attracts divers who are interested in exploring its water depths.

The Kainkulak waterfall is a beautiful water addition to the Community landscape. The Kainkulak River originates on the Blue Mountain hill. On the one hand, it is the second highest hill in the Zaporizhzhia Region, and on the other hand, it is a quarry that is famous for its granite throughout the country.

An important cultural and religious centre for the local Community is the Archangel Michael Church built in 1863 instead of the previous wooden one. Later, due to persecution during the Bolshevik occupation, the church was closed in 1929, and the premises were used as a grain warehouse.

Economy and Welfare

The Community relying on agriculture has a great potential for development, which is proved by a significant area of agricultural land and a developed hydrographic network.

Before the full-scale invasion, creating good conditions for investment and business development was a key priority of the Settlement Council. In the Community, they worked to modernize engineering and social infrastructure by attracting grants from national and international partners.

The local largest leading enterprises include PJSC “Novopoltava Quarry”, which produces high-quality fractionated crushed stone. Its production capacity is 400,000 m3 per year.

The tourist area is represented by the Veliky Stav entertainment and tourist complex. This amazing corner of the land is located on the bank of a pond formed on the steppe river Saltych. The closed territory of the complex amounts to 49.17 hectares, of which almost 39 hectares are the water mirror of the pond.

Community and War

The Chernihivka Community has been under temporary occupation since 26 February 2022.

During the active hostilities against russian aggression, the Stulievo educational complex and the central post office, which russian troops used as their location base, were damaged.

Until 01 April 2022, the Settlement Council staff continued to work in the territory of the Community supporting the population and dealing with humanitarian and social issues.

Since April, most of the Settlement Council staff led by the head of the Community was forced to leave the territory.

A significant number of the population left for territories controlled by Ukraine, most of them for the city of Zaporizhzhia. They are mainly families with children and the elderly. The Chernihivka Settlement Council together with volunteers set up a hub in Zaporizhzhia, where they can get basic necessities and help as well as all kinds of consultations.

At the Hub, projects are implemented to provide the population with urgent access to key services, support persons with disabilities, prepare the population to return to the de-occupied territory and respond to crisis situations, deepen and build democracy.

People of the Community

Vitalii Manych is the head of the Chernihivka Settlement Territorial Community. In 2023, he was appointed head of the Settlement Military Administration.

The main idea was to unite all the localities of the former Chernihivka District into one community; projects were created in the period of governing the Community. A number of key infrastructure projects were implemented.

During 2017-2021, the Community, in cooperation with international and Ukrainian partners, implemented a number of infrastructure projects: the creation of areas for active family recreation, the creation of an administrative services centre, a library, the reconstruction of the building of the Centre for primary health care with the installation of a bandage, major repairs of the water supply system and road surface.

Regional festivals were launched: the competition of soloists-vocalists and vocal ensembles “Chernihivski Zori” and the open “Legends of the Steppe” festival on Mount Oba-Tash, where the Scythian State theatre created an open-air park of megaliths.

The “Legends of the Steppe” festival was launched with the aim of preserving, reviving and popularizing the centuries-old cultural heritage and cultural achievements of the peoples of the Azov steppes, introducing broad categories of the population to the uniqueness of the Scythian era, and popularizing the oldest history of Ukraine.

Development Strategy

The Chernihivka Community is the largest settlement community in the Zaporizhzhia Region, which adheres to the principles of sustainable development, the balance of state, public and private interests, taking into account the concept of spatial development of the community territory, strives for self-improvement in accordance with world standards, practices innovative approaches to the organization of all processes, and values the natural and cultural environment of its residents.

Currently, the territory of the Community is under occupation, but priority measures have already been developed and will be taken as soon as this territory is again under the control of Ukraine. The main of them include:

– demining the territory;
– priority restoration of the housing stock with minor damage;
– restoration of critical infrastructure facilities;
– restoration of the material and technical resources of medical, social and educational institutions.

Sources

• chegromada.gov.ua
• facebook.com/chegromada