This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Kodyma Territorial Community
Odesa
Population:
The Kodyma urban territorial community is located in the Podilsk district, Odesa region. It borders the Republic of Moldova to the west.
Total area of the territory: 703.0 sq km.
Population: 25,225 people (as of January 01, 2024)
Men: 10,990
Women: 14,235
Children: 4,309
People of retirement age: 5,060
Internally Displaced Persons: 941
The community includes 20 villages and has its administrative center in the town of Kodyma.
History
The history of Kodyma is interesting primarily because its proper name is associated with the eponymous name of the river on which it is located, and which had several names, starting with the descriptions of Herodotus.
The word “kodyma” itself was known to the Polovtsians and meant east, and because it referred to the name of a river that had its own course, it sounded like “a river flowing east”.
There are numerous sites of Stone Age people on the territory of the community. During the excavations, 84 ancient settlements were discovered, which are archaeological monuments. The tract “Zholubets” near the village of Labushne is considered the oldest not only in the Odesa region, but also in Ukraine.
The area where the community is located has a characteristic feature – it is a kind of border strip between Podillia and steppe Ukraine, which undoubtedly influenced its history.
The history of the area is also connected with the name of another legendary figure – the leader of the peasant movement of the early 19th century, Ustym Karmaliuk. A cave has survived near the village of Zahnitkiv, where, according to legend, he hid from the gendarmes
In the early 19th century, the Kodyma area was of great significance as a point through which important trade routes passed. This was facilitated by the rather advantageous location of the area on an important route between Podillia, Volyn, Kyiv region and the Black Sea ports. This circumstance had a positive effect on the economic development of the region. The population of Kodyma and the surrounding villages was mainly engaged in agriculture and trade.
In the late 19th – early 20th centuries, there was a synagogue in the village of Kruti (founded in November 1884).
In Kodyma there is an old Christian cemetery, where stone crosses from the 19th century have been preserved. There is also a Jewish cemetery, where there are matzevot from the 19th century.
The history of the Kodyma area is presented in the exhibits of the Kodyma Historical and Local Lore Museum.
The Kodyma Historical and Local Lore Museum is located in a building that is a monument of architecture and urban planning of the late 19th century. The museum’s collections contain over 4 thousand exhibits. The exposition presents objects of archeology, ethnography, works of folk craftsmen, local artists, antique furniture, equipment and technology of different years, household items of the 1920-80s and the times of World War II. Significant collections of antique towels, shirts, carpets, irons have been collected here.
A separate hall was allocated for the Literary Room, which houses the author’s fund of the famous Ukrainian writer Bohdan Sushynskyi (over 700 exhibits).
The Kodyma community enriched the National List of Elements of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ukraine adding “Features of the Performance of Klezmer Music in the Podilsk (Kodyma) District of the Odesa Region”, “The Dry-Stone Construction Technique” and the Preparation of the Ukrainian Traditional Dish “Holubtsi”.
Also, the regional inventory of elements of intangible cultural heritage currently includes klezmer music (Freilyk), ritual bread of the Kodyma area, Kodyma woven and embroidered towels, and clay products.
The wooden windmill in the village of Budei is a ten meters high steppe wonder weighing ten tons. The mill can easily rotate around its axis in the wind. It attracts tourists at any time of the year.
Economy and Welfare
The community’s economy is mainly represented by the agricultural and industrial sectors.
About 30,000 hectares of land are used in agriculture. New forms of management for the processing of dairy agricultural products are being introduced in the community.
The horticultural industry is also developing successfully. Innovative projects in horticulture are being actively implemented to develop nut crops. 18 hectares of hazelnuts have already been planted. Vegetable crops are being grown and include tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, melons. Drip irrigation has been introduced here.
There are also enterprises that specialize in harvesting and storing grain. On the territory of the community, 2 elevators with a total capacity of about 60 thousand tons provide services for long-term storage, shipment, drying, and packaging of grain. This is where grain from farmers arrives and undergoes all the primary stages of processing: disinfection, cleaning from industrial impurities and drying.
The basis of the community’s industrial sector is processing, mining, woodworking, food (bakery, production of concentrated fruit juices), printing and light industries. The main budget-forming industrial enterprises are “Hrabivskyi Vapniak” and “Juice Plant Kodymskiy”. Their products are both sold on the domestic market and exported.
The community has the necessary conditions for the development of green tourism and weekend tourism. For all those who love eco-tourism, the community offers a fascinating cultural route “Shpakiv shliach”, which includes picturesque villages of the community, historical monuments, traditional cuisine and local crafts, and a visit to Ethno-eco hut “Bilochi”. There are also cycling routes on the territory of the community.
The ethno-eco-festival “Kodyma-fest” became a major artistic event that played an important role in the image and popularization of the community far beyond its borders. The festival organizes presentations of authentic Ukrainian cuisine, master classes in Easter egg making, pottery, weaving, an exhibition and sale of works by folk craftspeople, ancient games for children and adults, Cossack entertainment, and concert programs with the participation of professional and amateur groups.
The community has a significant number of springs and artesian wells with high-quality mineral table water. Some of them are close to the famous Borjomi in terms of mineral composition.
The Kodyma community is also rich in mineral resource deposits. In particular, the community has deposits of construction sand and limestone, which can be fully used for the production of building materials. The balance reserves of mineral resources are sufficient for the location of enterprises and the development of industry.
The field of education is represented by the Kodyma territorially separated specialized branch of the Northern Center for Vocational Education. It trains qualified mechanics for the repair of agricultural machinery and equipment, tractor drivers – agricultural production machinists, vehicle drivers, cooks, and fruit and vegetable growers. In the town of Kodyma, a self-organizing learning space has been created based on the library. In addition, an inclusive resource center operates here.
There are 15 preschool and 14 secondary education institutions, a Center for Children and Youth Creativity, and a Children and Youth Sports School in the community.
The community has a sports complex. It brings together professional coaches and pupils from schools specializing in such sports as football, volleyball, taekwondo, and futsal.
The exemplary choreographic ensemble “Yunist” became a first-degree diploma winner of the regional festival of choreographic art, and the folk choir “Dzherela” of the Kodyma House of Culture became a laureate of the All-Ukrainian festival “Code of the Nation”.
Community and War
From the first days of the full-scale invasion, the community’s residents stood up to defend their state. Today, more than 700 local men and women serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. To date, 55 soldiers from the community have fallen and more than 40 are missing.
In December 2023, the Alley of Memory was opened in the community.
Today, every resident of the community is a volunteer, almost everyone is a member of various volunteer organizations and helps the Ukrainian military.
The community regularly holds charity fairs and other events to raise funds for the needs of the military. Children, community residents, volunteers, and community and volunteer organizations raise money for military equipment, drones, and other ammunition.
The priority in the community is to provide assistance to internally displaced persons. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, over 1,500 internally displaced persons have found shelter in the Kodyma community.
Community People
The community is led by Serhii Lupashko.
Despite the continuation of martial law in Ukraine, the Kodyma urban territorial community worked on implementing a number of projects to improve the socio-economic situation with the involvement of donor funds.
According to the selection results, the Kodyma urban territorial community became a partner of the USAID “HOVERLA” Project as one of 10 territorial communities in the Odesa region. With the project funds, provided in the form of international technical assistance, the community purchased machinery, equipment and other property, including an excavator-loader and 3 diesel generators.
The GIZ project “EU Strong Regions Program – Special Support Program for Ukraine” (Germany) provided the Kodyma community with generators, hygiene products, computer equipment, bedding and housing products, rehabilitation equipment for the hospital, a modern operating table, solar panels, medical equipment, and transport means for a social taxi. In addition, the administrative services center received modern equipment.
Also, powerful assistance was provided by various charitable organizations and institutions, such as the public organization “Desiate Kvitnia”, UNICEF, branches of the organization “International Solidarity”, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the ACTED Branch (France): thousands of food kits to provide food for the survivors, hygiene kits, charging stations, rehabilitation and medical equipment, computer equipment, household goods, furniture, and plumbing. Besides, two centers for the accommodation of internally displaced persons and areas for active recreation were equipped.
Work is underway within the framework of community partnership with the GIZ project, ACTED, the public organization “Ecoclub” and other international partners and public organizations.
The town council participated in the Hackathon project “100 Ideas for Cities”. Based on the results of the selection, three investment proposals were developed for the community.
Development Strategy
The Kodyma urban territorial community is a community with agricultural, logistical and industrial potential and developed infrastructure. One of the priority areas of community development is the active implementation of investment policy and attraction of potential investors in agricultural product processing, renewable energy, production of building materials, and greenhouse farming. The community has a unique geographical location, significant agricultural and labor potential, and a rich cultural and historical heritage.
Currently, the priority areas of development of the community are the creation of conditions for the provision of high-quality medical and sanitary services, psychological and physical rehabilitation of all categories of citizens, as well as health care and increasing the duration of active and working life. For this purpose, it is planned to create a rehabilitation center on the basis of the hospital.
The community aims at the movement towards a safe environment for life and health through the implementation of green energy and energy efficiency tools.
During an official visit to the city of Ialoveni, Republic of Moldova, the Mayor of Kodyma signed a Cooperation and Twinning Agreement of Intent.
