Kakhovka Territorial Community

Kherson

Population:

The Kakhovka urban territorial community is located in the Kakhovka district, Kherson region. The community was created on April 29, 2020. The administrative center is the town of Kakhovka. The area of the community is 19.6 hectares. The community includes 6 population centers: the town of Kakhovka and the villages of Rozdolne, Malokakhovka, Korobky, Vilna Ukraina, Chornomorivka.

As of January 1, 2022, the population of the community was 42,624 people.
Women: 19,206
Men: 15,543
Urban population: 35,037 people;
Rural population: 7,587 people.

History

The town of Kakhovka was founded in 1791 on the site of the former Turkish fortress – Islam-Kermen. It was named after General V. Kakhovskyi – a participant in the Russo-Turkish wars of the second half of the 18th century.

By 1879, Kakhovka had become a well-known trading town, which was greatly facilitated by its favorable location at the crossroads of trade routes, near the once famous Tavansky transport across the Dnipro. The Nikolsky and Pokrovsky fairs, which took place in the town in early May and October, leaded in Tavria in terms of turnover. Thanks to its labor fairs, which collected up to 40,000 non-local workers, Kakhovka began to play the role of a supplier of labor to the large landlord estates of the Falz-Feins, the Trubetskoys, the Mordvinovs, and others.

In the late 19th century, industrial-scale production began to develop and agricultural machinery factories, a brewery, a vodka factory, a sawmill, and a soft drink factory were created. In the early 20th century, the population of Kakhovka was 4,000 residents. There were 6 schools, a hospital, a library (one of the ten oldest libraries in Ukraine), cinematography, and the People’s House in the town.

Embankment of the town of Kakhovka (open sources)

The community is located in favorable conditions for the accumulation of groundwater. In addition to fresh underground water, the town has mineral-healing deposits “Hot Spring”, which are used for balneological purposes in the treatment and prevention facility. That is, the mineral waters of the deposit are the resource basis and are used for recreational and health purposes.

Production of mineral water “Kakhovka” Source

The Kakhovka territorial community is located in the steppe zone, on the left bank of Kakhovka Reservoir. Kakhovka Reservoir is the lower one in the cascade of Dnipro reservoirs, which washes the territory of the town of Kakhovka from the north.

Economy and Welfare

Before the occupation, the community had significant industrial potential and favorable conditions for the development of efficient agriculture. The largest employers here are engaged in manufacturing industries and wholesale trade in agricultural products. One of the national leaders of the food industry, CHUMAK, heads the list. The main activity of the CARGILL enterprise is the production of oil and animal fats, while TERRATARSA UKRAINE is focused on wholesale trade in chemical products.

Kakhovka-based branch of CARGILL (Kakhovka Oil Extraction Plant)

The Kakhovka community has enterprises with foreign investments: GREEN TEAM – processing and canning of fruits and vegetables; UNIFER, a company engaged in the supply of high-quality products and innovative technologies in the field of agriculture; SKANDITEX, one of the successful examples of cooperation between the local government and the investor, providing tailoring services to order from the raw materials of partner customers of tailoring and haberdashery products and products made from leather and other materials; VANDRA RUGS WEAVING ATELIER, specializing in the exclusive production of carpets by individual orders for export using the most modern equipment – the company produces woolen carpets for Sweden and other European countries.

The Kakhovka urban territorial community has significant investment potential due to its geographical location, logistical advantages, the availability of qualified labor and vacant land plots attractive in terms of creation of new enterprises.

The community’s total area is 19.6 thousand ha, of which 12.7 thousand ha (75%) is agricultural lands. The production of agricultural products in the territorial community was provided by 21 farming enterprises, on the basis of which the conditions for long-term storage of the grown agricultural products were created.

Due to the occupation of the territory by the aggressor country, industrial and agricultural enterprises are not operational. The majority of budget-generating enterprises have been relocated to the territory controlled by Ukraine.

The field of education works effectively in the Kakhovka community. There are 11 institutions of general secondary education, 12 institutions of preschool education, 1 educational institution in the field of culture (Kakhovka Children’s School of Arts), 5 institutions of out-of-school education on the territory of the community. There are also 6 village libraries and 5 houses of culture in the community.

Members of the station of young naturalists together with Mayor Vitalii Nemerts planting saplings of young oak trees brought from the Kyiv region on the central square next to the hundred-year-old oaks to honor the 230th anniversary of the founding of the town of Kakhovka and the 30th anniversary of the independence of Ukraine. Source

There are 6 objects of cultural heritage under the special protection of the territorial community.

In the Kakhovka urban territorial community, there is a tendency of growing number of people involved in physical education and sports. There are 86 physical culture and sports facilities in the town of Kakhovka.

Sports competitions devoted to the 230th anniversary of the founding of the town of Kakhovka and the 30th anniversary of Ukraine's independence Source

Health care sector on the territory of the Kakhovka community is represented by health care facilities of two levels: the Central Town Hospital and the Primary Health Care system.

The favorable geographical location of the administrative and territorial center of the Kakhovka community allows organizing and holding open festivals of various directions and other large-scale events at the regional, All-Ukrainian and international levels.

Community and War

Since the first days of the full-scale invasion, the Kakhovka urban territorial community has been under temporary occupation.

The community was in a difficult situation in terms of food crisis, lack of food and medical drugs. The Kakhovka Town Council, with the help of business representatives, organized humanitarian food aid and free hot lunches for the population.

Distribution of hot lunches to the population (Kakhovka urban territorial community)

On several occasions during March – April 2022, residents of the town of Kakhovka went to peaceful protest meetings in support of Ukraine. The occupiers did not like community resistance. Under machine gun fire and tear gas, people chanted: “Kakhovka is Ukraine”.

Opposition rally in the central part of the town of Kakhovka. March 2022. (Open sources).

A symbol of resistance during rallies. March 2022. Free sources.

After the de-occupation of the city of Kherson in the fall of 2022, Kakhovka actually found itself in the “gray” zone. Since then, the occupiers have regularly shelled the town to force the population to leave the territory. Currently, there are many destroyed houses and mutilated buildings in the town. Also, frequent are cases of people being injured and dying from wounds incompatible with life.

Consequences of shelling in the town of Kakhovka. Open sources.

The undermining and destruction of the Kakhovka HPP and the shallowing of the Kakhovka reservoir resulted in an ecological disaster. This will lead to long-term negative changes in the ecosystem (which will certainly affect the population, its life and health), problems with the quality of drinking water for the population and the lack (absence) of water for agricultural production (irrigation), etc.

The embankment of the town of Kakhovka after the destruction of the Kakhovka HPP. Open sources

The state of the Dnipro after the destruction of Kakhovka HPP. Open sources

The presence of occupation forces on the territory of the Kakhovka community led to the destruction of the forest massif between the town of Kakhovka and the village of Malokakhovka.

People of the Community

Vitalii Nemerets - head of the urban military administration/ Kakhovka mayor

Since 2020, the community has been headed by Vitalii Anatoliyovych Nemerets. In 2022, by the Decree of the President of Ukraine, Vitalii Nemerets was appointed head of the Kakhovka Urban Military Administration. With his direct participation, a HUB was organized in Kyiv to help the internally displaced people from the Kherson Region and the residents of Kakhovka in particular. In the hub, people can get humanitarian food aid, legal and psychological consultations. Also, there are Saturday appointments of specialist doctors. There are various activities for children, excursions, visits to cinemas, a puppet theater, a circus, a zoo. A football club has been created for young residents of the Kakhovka (and not only) community. In general, more than 50,000 services have been provided since the establishment of the Kherson Region IDP HUB.

Distribution of humanitarian aid to IDPs of the Kakhovka area on the basis of the humanitarian HUB Source

With the support of Vitalii Nemerets, a free football section for the children of internally displaced persons of the Kherson Region who live in the town of Kyiv and Kyiv region has been opened on the basis of the Humanitarian Hub for Internally Displaced Persons of the Kherson Region “Free Together”.

Development Strategy

In November 2021, the community approved the Development Strategy of the Kakhovka Urban Territorial Community for 2022-2027.

In order to achieve the strategic vision, the priority areas of the development of the Kakhovka community were defined, which determined the most real opportunities for growth:

Economic development of the Kakhovka community.
Development of human capital and social infrastructure.
High quality of life and services for community residents.

After the de-occupation of the Kakhovka urban territorial community, the activities of the community will radically expand. The priority will be the restoration of the territory of the community after armed aggression, the reconstruction of critical infrastructure, medical and educational institutions, the creation of conditions for the restoration of business activities, and the development of human potential.

The Kakhovka urban territorial community has sister cities: Oleśnica (Poland) Truskavets (Ukraine), Gaziemir (Türkiye). The main areas of cooperation with sister cities include the exchange of experience in the field of education, culture, sports and communication between children and young people.

If you want to contact an Ukrainian community or have additional questions regarding the project please contact us: [email protected]

Kakhovka Territorial Community

History

Economy and Welfare

Community and War

People of the Community

Development Strategy

List of Sources