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Izium Territorial Community
Kharkiv
Population:
The Izium Urban Territorial Community is located in the south-eastern part of the Kharkiv Region on the border with the Donetsk Region.
The Community consists of one town and fifteen villages. The administrative centre of the Izium Urban Territorial Community is the town of regional importance – Izium.
The territory of the Izium Urban Territorial Community occupies an area of 37,607.2 hectares.
As of 01 January 2022, the population of the Community amounted to 49,832 residents.
Men: 21,428 residents
Women: 28,404 residents
Internally displaced persons: over 7,000 people
History
A good natural and geographical location of Izium has caused events that played an important role in the history of the region to take place in the territory of the present-day town since ancient times. Back in the 11th and 12th centuries, battles between ancient Rus Princes and the Cumans took place within the boundaries of the present-day town, the descriptions of which found in ancient chronicles have survived. The Izium route was also a well-known one.
In 1639, the first chronicle mention of Izium appears indicating the place where its residents settled. In 1680, the town of Izium was called Izium Township. In the late 17th century, a fortress consisting of a “big” and a “small” towns was built on the site of the present-day town of Izium. The area was characterized by a good landscape as the fortress was washed by the Siverskyi Donets River on three sides and was covered by the Kremianets Mountain on the fourth, as a result of which Izium soon became the centre of the region. The central part of the town of Izium is now located on the site of the “big” town.
In 1685, the Slobidsky regiment was created in the town of Izium, which included thirteen towns and slobodas (villages).
The first church in Izium was the Intercession Church and its history dates back to the time of the Metropolitanate of Kyiv. The first written references date back to 1653.
The Holy Transfiguration Cathedral in the town of Izium is one of the oldest stone buildings of the town and the Sloboda region, which has survived and comes from the era of the Cossack buildings. It was built in 1682 – 1684 in the Ukrainian Baroque style by a group of craftsmen.
The magnificent architectural landmarks such as the St. Nicholas Church (1809 – 1821) and the Ascension Church (1819 – 1826) have survived in the town to this day. It was in this old church that the Icon of the Mother of God of Pisky appeared in 1754.
In the heart of the town, on the right bank of the Siverskyi Donets River, there is Mount Kremianets, which is the local highest point.
The hill is considered the highest point of the Kharkiv Region. According to some information, it is 177.3 metres high, according to others – 218 metres high above sea level. A Tatar fortress was located on the hill in the 14th century.
On the top of the hill there are so-called stone women, i.e. stone monuments that were perceived by ancient people as protecting idols. There is also a monument dedicated to the Second World War on the top of the hill. You can see military machines, as well as memorial plaques with the names of fallen soldiers.
The Izium Community is the homeland of world-famous Ukrainian artists, poets, and writers.
Industry developed in Izium in the second half of the 19th century and in the early 20th century. In 1910, the Kharkiv-Donbas railway passed through the town, and two years later the construction of railway workshops began. In 1917, an optical glass (instrument manufacturing) factory was founded.
Economy and well-being
Until February 24, 2022, 25 agricultural enterprises were working in the Izyum territorial community, the main branch of which is grain cultivation (winter wheat, spring and winter barley, corn, oil crops). As of today, the restoration of the work of agricultural enterprises is complicated by the mining of the territory, but there are also those enterprises that are already gradually starting to recover. Since the beginning of 2023, 7 agro-industrial enterprises have resumed their work.
During the hostilities, the industrial enterprises of the Izyum urban territorial community suffered significant damage and destruction. The largest enterprise “Izyum Instrument Factory”, which provided almost 1.5 thousand people with jobs, was engaged in the production of optical colorless glass, optical colored glass, geodetic instruments, microscopes, observation devices, ceramics, ophthalmological lenses, special equipment.
In recent years, a series of modern guidance devices for anti-tank systems, optical-electronic sighting systems for fire control systems of air-armored vehicles, observation observation stations have been produced.
During the Russian invasion in April 2022, the plant was destroyed by aerial bombardment.
“Lyshosp” and the enterprise “GROL Ukraine” suffered significant destruction, stolen machinery, equipment, furniture, mined territories. But despite all the difficulties, enterprises are gradually adjusting their work and recovering.
A number of traditional celebrations were started in the community, such as Vyshyvanka Day, which was traditionally celebrated with a flash mob, Shrovetide – the burning of a “straw woman” in the central squares of the city, Children’s Day was also celebrated with a children’s flash mob – a dance competition-presentation of schools and entertainment programs for very young residents of the community.
But the highlight of the community was the annual festival-fair of strawberries. This holiday was usually celebrated on the second Saturday of June, which is the peak of the berry harvest.
Raisin is rightly called the strawberry capital of Ukraine. In the city, every family loves, and every other family grows bright red, fragrant and very tasty berries in the vegetable garden or on the garden plot.
Before the armed aggression, there were 73 club formations, which included more than 1,900 people of various ages. These are multi-genre creative teams.
The community is also very sporty. After the de-occupation of the city, the work of the Izyum Children’s and Youth Sports School is gradually being adjusted and resumed. In 2023, children were recruited for the 2023-2024 school year, and even in such a difficult time for the community, from September to December 2023, children took part in competitions: mini-football, taekwondo, boxing, and took city prizes.
Community and War
The battles for the town began from the first days of the full-scale offensive of the russian federation in Ukraine. In fact, the town was defended by only one battalion of paratroopers and a territorial defence unit of about 300 local heroes. Nevertheless, the fighting was very fierce and Izium held out for almost two weeks.
The invaders mercilessly bombarded Izium and its surroundings with aviation and artillery and destroyed more than 80% of the entire infrastructure, residential buildings. Aerial bombs were dropped on residential high-rise buildings in the basements of which people were hiding. Entire sections were destroyed by the bombings.
Almost in the first days of the full-scale invasion, Izium was under occupation, which lasted from March 07 to September 10, 2022. The armed units of the russian federation killed and tortured many local residents. There was no electricity, water, or gas in the town, and almost no medical services were provided. The exact number of victims of russian aggression is not yet known.
After de-occupation, a mass burial of murdered and tortured residents and one military mass grave were discovered in a forest strip in the territory of the town. More than 400 bodies were discovered on the mass burial site, including those with signs of torture. The dead included children and soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Also, after the de-occupation, the law enforcement officers discovered in Izium six torture chambers set up by the invaders.
However, despite all the problems of the Community, its residents do not forget thanks to whom they can return home. The activity of residents has been manifested in the support of the Ukrainian military: the collection of warm clothes, the manufacture of mattresses, candles, camouflage nets, as well as the holding of events to raise funds for the purchase of military supplies.
People of the Community
Valery Marchenko has been the mayor of Izium since October 2015.
In October 2022, he was appointed the head of the Izium Urban Military Administration.
During his tenure as mayor, a number of projects have been implemented in the Community, which were aimed at improving the provision of educational, cultural, social services, and developing sports infrastructure.
The “Public Budget-Participatory Budget” was introduced, which became a kind of “good agreement” between the local authorities and the public.
Thanks to the help of international partners, a number of projects have been carried out for the overhaul and thermal insulation of kindergarten buildings, the children’s art school, the buildings of the central municipal hospital; the physical culture and health complex “Donets” was overhauled and reconstructed and a swimming pool was built, the central part of the town was developed: the square and the park were overhauled, the pedestrian bridge was renovated, and the fountain was restored.
Development Strategy
The development strategy of the Izium Urban Territorial Community for the period of 2021-2027 was developed in the Community, but it is no more relevant. Currently, the Community’s priority areas of activities and tasks include:
- Demining the territory
- Creation of conditions for the return of residents and businesses to the Community
- Reconstruction of the housing stock and thermal modernization of buildings
- Reconstruction of infrastructure facilities
- Use of alternative sources of energy and heating
- Reclamation of the territory and technical re-equipment of the solid household waste landfill with the installation of a sorting station
- Restoration and reconstruction of the water supply and drainage system
- Improvement of the territory, landscaping and arrangement of recreation areas
- Repair of roads and sidewalks
- Reconstruction and overhaul of educational institutions and their work resumption
- Overhaul of cultural and sports facilities and their work resumption
- Creation of conditions for affordable medical services
- Support of residents who have lost their jobs and their involvement in the reconstruction of the town
