Demydivka Territorial Community

History

The Demydivka territorial community was formed on 7 September 2016. The first elections of the village head and council members were held on October 29, 2017. The Demydivka territorial community is located in the southern part of the Rivne region, in the right-bank zone of forests and steppes and belongs to the Volhynian-Podolian Upland. 

The oldest mention of the settlement of Demydivka dates back to 1570. It was named Demydiv then. The name comes from a man named Demyd. At the beginning of the XVII century, Demydiv was a small settlement that belonged to several landowners. The settlement, together with Lishna, had 21 houses in 1629. Now Demydivka is the centre of the territorial community.

On the territory of the community, there is the National Historical and Memorial Reserve – the Field of the Berestechko Battle, also known as Cossack Graves. It is a complex of monuments in Pliasheva village, Dubno district, Rivne region. 

Also, there is a historical Giant Oak in the community – a botanical natural monument of local importance in Ukraine. The tree is about 560 years old; it stands out for its power, is has a height of more than 30 m, and a diameter of about 2 m.

There are many vacationers on the shore of the Khrinnyky village reservoir in the pine forest as the buildings of the Khrinnyky sanatorium are located here. The most important thing in the sanatorium is a unique type of medical service – mud therapy. Mud of the Demydivka neighbourhood has no analogues in Ukraine due to its therapeutic and rehabilitative effect. 

Economy and Welfare

One of the community’s major enterprises is the Demydiv Private Enterprise (Demydivka Cannery) which has been operating since 1968. 

It produces canned vegetables, sauces, juices and acetic acid solutions. Also, in wartime, it established a mass production of canned stewed pork, most of which is delivered as dry ration to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. 

OLDI enterprise, operating on the territory of the community, engages in wholesale trade of wood, sawmill and planing production.

Agroremmash Company has been operating in the community since 2006; it is the western region’s only company that engages in repair and restoration of assemblies and units of domestic and foreign-made grain harvesters. Agroremmash provides services to agricultural enterprises, individual owners of grain-harvesting equipment in the Rivne region and neighbouring regions. The enterprise constantly expands the scope of services and learns to repair imported grain harvesters.

The community also has an electricity production enterprise. The water storage has a complex purpose: energy, water supply, flood control, recreation, and fishing activities.

Agricultural enterprises that rent and cultivate land on the territory of the community are major budget generators of the Demydivka settlement council. The main type of activity is the cultivation of grain crops.

For a long time, the Khrinnyky Water Storage has been a holiday destination for people from all over Ukraine. The area of the sanatorium beach is approximately 0.8 hectares. The facility has two playgrounds and two sports grounds. The institution has a library and a summer concert venue which allows it to organize work in groups.

In the Demydivka community, the education sphere is very effective, as the community spends the largest part of its budget funds on its development. The following institutions operate here:

 – 8 institutions of general secondary education

 – 4 preschool education institutions

 – 2 out-of-school institutions

The Demydivka Inclusive Resource Centre, a communal institution, enrols 179 children.

Also, there is a communal institution – Centre for Physical Health of the Population “Sports for Everyones” – on the community’s territory.

In 2022, a project on partial replacement of electricity consumption in social institutions was implemented in cooperation with public organizations.

As part of the project, solar power plant equipment was installed on the roofs, some nodes of the energy supply system were repaired, and the school and hospital were provided with an alternative source of electricity to ensure water heating.

The equipment was bought and three systems were installed for grant funds. Thanks to the work of the institutions, comfortable conditions were created for internally displaced persons and local residents. The project was co-financed by the governments of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia through Visegrad grants of the International Visegrad Fund.

The foundation’s goal is to promote the ideas of sustainable regional cooperation in Central Europe. Information boards with extended functionality were installed in the Demydivka Village Council. The important announcements and official notices can be placed on such boards and they will be protected from the effects of precipitation thanks to a special design.

There is an autonomous solar power supply, thanks to which the board is illuminated at night, and you can recharge your gadget through USB ports. Also, another project was implemented in the village park with the financial support of the Hungarian Ecumenical Charity during September-October to increase opportunities for recreation and relaxation.

In close communication with the local authorities, the active internally displaced persons, who found shelter in the Demydivka territorial community, made the list of objects that still required attention. So, comfortable benches were installed in several places of the village, bookcrossing shelves with sets of books by modern authors were installed in popular establishments. However, the most expected was the location in the village park, where a large gazebo was installed.

At the same time, an updated public space was opened with a multifunctional sports ground, amenities for park visitors and information content. The project was implemented with the support of the UNDP project “ Civil Society for Enhanced Democracy and Human Rights” and with the financial support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. The funds are also raised for the implementation of micro-projects by public organizations, which operate on the territory of the community.

Community and War

From the first days of the war, employees of enterprises and institutions of the Demydivka settlement council began collecting food, clothing and funds for the Ukrainian Armed Forces and helping residents of regions where hostilities were underway.

The Demydivka Settlement Council receives displaced persons who left their homes and promptly organizes social protection for them on its territory.

The humanitarian coordination group was formed in the Demydivka settlement territorial community for work with internally displaced persons. 

Its main tasks are as follows: 

searching and registering the spaces for accommodation of temporarily displaced persons who move to the territory of the community from the active war zone;

coordinating the settlement of temporarily displaced persons and their accounting;

providing other humanitarian and coordination assistance and legal clarifications to temporarily displaced persons, who live on the territory of the community.

The workers participated in weaving camouflage nets and sewing plate carriers. They organized fairs to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The village council continues to distribute humanitarian aid to temporarily displaced persons who have arrived and continue to arrive from the active war zone.

Community Head

Serhiy Radchenko, who united like-minded people in one team, was elected Village Head in 2020. The military always receive assistance in the form of military ammunition, food, and necessary equipment under his leadership and direct participation.

Before the war in Ukraine, the Demydivka community actively worked to preserve Ukrainian traditions by holding various cultural and mass events.

Development Strategy

Strategic planning of activities underlies the effective operation of the Demydivka settlement council. At this stage, the Development Strategy has been developed.

One of the priority tasks of the authorities are as follows:

– overhaul of roads and reconstruction of sidewalks;

– construction of energy facilities based on renewable energy sources in the territories as indicated in the master plan;

– overhaul of the premises of the Khrinnyky children sanatorium, restoration and year-round work of the communal enterprise with the development of the health department and the use of healing mud;

– reconstruction of the recreation and leisure park in Demydivka village;

– overhaul of the internal premises of the administration building of the administrative services centre; 

– introduction of the automated street lighting management process in the community’s villages;

– implementation of the systematic process of collection, sorting, processing and disposal of solid household waste on the community’s territory;

– overhaul of water supply and sewage networks and equipment;

– Cross-border cooperation.

List of Sources

• The information was taken from the departments and organizations of the Demydivka Settlement Council and the website of the Demydivka Settlement Council  and INTERNET
• youtu.be
• www.youtube.com