Kytaihorod Territorial Community

Khmelnytskyi

Population:

The Kytaihorod Rural Territorial Community is located in the south of the Khmelnytskyi Region. Its total area is 186.7344 square kilometres. The Community includes thirteen rural localities.

As of 01 January 2023, the population of the Community totalled 3,852 residents.

Men: 1,813 residents

Women: 2,039 residents

Number of internally displaced persons: 150 people

History

The administrative centre is the village of Kytaihorod. It was founded around 1607 by castellan of Kamianets-Podilskyi Andrzej Potocki; his son Stanislaw built a castle there and surrounded it with a wall and a rampart.

In historical documents, Kytaihorod is first mentioned in the early 17th century, but it is possible that there was a settlement there even in more ancient times. According to Jan Potocki, Kytaihorod was located on the site where the town of Metonium had been indicated in Ptolemy’s geography (2nd century AD).

In 1923 – 1931, Kytaihorod was the centre of the Kytaihorod District.

The Community stretches over the Tovtry Ridge, which is a barrier reef of the two seas of Torton and Sarmat that once existed in the Podillia area, where one can see the remains of the coral reef of the Sarmatian Sea.

The landscapes there attract people due to their virgin beauty as well as unique geological sights – the only reference section of the Silurian period in Europe, the Kytaihorod Outcrop, as well as Babyn Pysok Remnant Mountain and Teremets Mountain, with a quarry in the form of an amphitheatre, an arch, a karst bridge and a cave.

Kytaihorod Outcrop geological section Source

The Community is also famous for its sacred site having a historical value – the Subich Rock Monastery having been known since the 16th century, its architectural and historical pearls.

The Community has an armoured wooden church in the village of Vykhvatnivtsi, the remains of the Potocki manor house with dungeons, a baroque Roman Catholic Church built in 1772 – 1776.

There are also ancient Jewish and Polish cemeteries, a “Roman” arched bridge.

An important landmark is a part of the ancient paved road over a chasm with stone pillars, which is a remnant of the medieval Silk Road route in the village of Kytaihorod.

Economy and Welfare

The main budget-generating entities in the Community are agricultural companies. However, despite the fact that the Community is located in a non-industrial area, the Community possesses unique natural resources and opportunities for the development of health and educational tourism.

A mild climate, nature reserves, unexplored places, unique man-made landmarks and unique natural complexes create good conditions for the development of tourism.

The tourist infrastructure of the Community is actively developing and is ready to ensure a comfortable stay for its guests. The available facilities include the Teremky park-hotel, glamping (campsites with all necessary amenities), rural green estates for recreation, ecological and educational routes for active recreation and nature exploration, as well as related tourist services.

Social infrastructure is developed in the territory of the Community. For example, a boarding house for the elderly and people with disabilities, three lyceums, four preschools, an inclusive resource centre, two culture centres, seven clubs, a local history museum, and six folklore and ethnographic teams.

The Community also keeps improving the health and safety of its residents. In 2019, a general practice outpatient clinic – a family medicine clinic was built in the village of Vykhvatnivtsi and a car was purchased for medical workers.

In 2023, a police station was opened, and two cars were purchased for the Community police officers.

Community and War

The Community is located in the southwest of the country, so it was not occupied during the invasion. Today, more than 150 residents defend Ukraine in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

As the aggression began, the Community started raising funds, collecting food products, weaving nets, making canned meat and fish, baking sweets, producing heating devices and purchasing equipment for the needs of the Ukrainian Army, and these activities have been carried out to this day.

Charity fairs and other events are constantly held, and the funds raised have been used to purchase a drone and meet other needs of the military.

The Community has hosted 400 internally displaced people who were forcibly evacuated or resettled, providing these people with the necessary housing, food, clothing and meeting their other basic necessities, and has established regular partnerships with charitable organizations that provide additional resources, financial support and expert assistance to deal with the situation.

Children from the frontline areas stayed in the Kytaihorod Community

150 refugees hosted by the Community found themselves in difficult conditions and still cannot return to their homes or go to other places of residence. The Community continues to work with these internally displaced people and the authorities to find a solution and deal with their plight.

People of the Community

Mykola Kostrytskyi, the starosta of the village of Rohizna, together with his son decided to defend their native land when the invasion began and joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, acting as leaders for other residents of the village. Their actions are a good example of devotion and patriotism. Mykola Kostrytskyi has been the starosta of the village since 2016.

The Community demonstrates active development in various areas, promotes the successful launch of innovative projects and the attraction of new investors to create a positive economic and social impact.

An important part of the development is the project “Overhauls in the Kytaihorod Lyceum”, which is financed by a subvention in the amount of about 65 million hryvnias allocated as part of the Emergency Credit Program for the Recovery of Ukraine. This project is aimed at improving educational conditions and infrastructure in the Community.

Development Strategy

Design and estimate documentation for the reconstruction of non-residential premises has been prepared for the purpose of creating the Administrative Services Centre as well as organizing an inclusive resource centre.

In addition, an investment project has been developed, which involves the cultivation of grapes and the construction of a factory for their further processing. This project will contribute to the development of agriculture and the creation of new jobs in the Community.

Also, the Community is actively working on a plan to lease or sell land plots located in attractive places that meet the requirements for recreation purposes.

Another important area is the active development of inter-municipal cooperation both within and beyond Ukraine. The Community has established partnership cooperation with its sister community in Poland as well as a community in the Kharkiv Region.

A team of the Community performing in Poland

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

Kytaihorod Territorial Community

History

Economy and Welfare

Community and War

People of the Community

Development Strategy

List of Sources