Lysets Territorial Community

History

The first mention of the settlement of Lysets, which used to be called Mochar, dates back to 1628. It is located on the Bystrytsia Solotvynska River 12 km from the regional center.

The village of Mochar was owned by the Polish noble Aleksander Koniecpolski who made it into a small town.

The modern name has been used since 1652. At that time, it was one of the centers of potash burning and glassware production in Galicia.

Lysets was a multinational place – Armenians, Poles, Jews, Germans and Ukrainians lived here.

First mentioned in 1416, the village of Stary Lysets is the oldest in the community and is considered one of the oldest population centers in Prykarpattia.

According to one version, the name comes from the fact that the village is surrounded by hills and the local residents called these hills wooded (Ukrainian: “lisysti”). According to another version, an old bald (Ukrainian: “lysyi”) Cossack once settled on the bank of the river with his family and the village was named to honor him.

The oldest written mention of another village of the community, Stebnyk, dates back to 1596. The village was located on the banks of the river of the same name.

The first written mention of the village of Posich dates back to 1633, and its first name was Prosich.

Located on the outskirts of the Black Forest, it is one of the coziest places of the newly created Lysets territorial community.

The geographical location of the settlement left an imprint on the entire history of its existence. The total area covered by the village is 4,619 hectares and is the largest in the district.

The village of Posich was completely destroyed in the 1950s by the occupation forces of the People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs (NKVD) for a powerful insurgent movement. And as soon as 1990, the village was revived.

Founded before 1779, the Roman Catholic Church in the settlement of Lysets is an important object of cultural heritage. In September 1997, the restored church was consecrated.

Another asset of the community and an important center of spiritual and cultural life is the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, which was built in Lysets in 1840 and was originally made of wood. In 1920, a new one was built on the site of the old church, which burned down due to a lightning strike. The church got an updated look in 2011.

Also, there is the Monastery of the Mother of God “Znamennia” on the territory of the community and the Well which is located in the forest outside the village of Posich. The well was installed above the spring by the Austrians over 100 years ago. It has survived to this day.

Economy and Welfare

The economy of the Lysets community is represented by small and medium-sized businesses.

About 36% of the entire area of the Lysets Territorial Community, which is 3,000 hectares, is occupied by forests, where the Rybnenske State Forestry and the Posytsko-Nyvochynske Private Forestry are located. Hunting is actively developing here.

Large areas of forests on the territory of the community create conditions for the development of the woodworking and furniture industries, therefore furniture production workshops operate in the community and manufacture some of the products for export. Frankof is a large local enterprise that produces high-quality and modern furniture.

Agricultural land with an area of 300 hectares is cultivated by lessees who grow cereals and flax. Garden societies and an agricultural cooperative work successfully here. Beekeeping is also being developed.

Recreational tourism is a promising area for the development of the territorial community.

Health care services are provided at a high level in the community. Considering the challenges of the time and the need to provide rehabilitation services for war survivors, the Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine was opened at the local hospital. Here, medical assistance is provided to neurological patients and patients with musculoskeletal injuries, and military personnel are rehabilitated. The hospital also has a palliative care department.

There is the first Volunteer Hospital “Brass” in the Lysets community which has been treating wounded servicemen since the beginning of the war.

There are schools and kindergartens on the territory of the community. There is also a local fire department, which is the only one in the area.

Community and War

Since the first days of the war, residents of the Lysets community have been helping to bring victory closer.

More than 300 men of the community are military personnel who are in the combat zone.

During the first year of the full-scale war, the Lysets community took in more than 1,000 internally displaced persons. Residents of the community are engaged in active volunteer activities, help the Armed Forces of Ukraine, provide material and psychosocial support to people affected by the war.

Employees of local self-government bodies, communal enterprises and educational institutions purchased and handed over 2 cars for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

School fairs are held in community lyceums. The collected funds go to the needs of the Armed Forces: they buy materials for making trench candles and weaving camouflage nets.

People of the Community

The Lysets community is headed by settlement head Anatolii Lushchak, who was born and resides in the village of Staryi Lysets. He was elected as the village head of the village of Staryi Lysets for three democratic convocations (from 2006 to 2020). He has been leading the Lysets Territorial Community since its creation.

With the support of the head of the community, a number of projects in the field of energy efficiency, health care and education were implemented here.

Various educational seminars and trainings, cultural and sports events are constantly held and cultural traditions and heritage are deeply respected in the community.

In connection with the constant shelling of energy facilities in Ukraine, the energy supply of the hospital in the community has become a critical issue. The management team implemented a project to install solar panels on the roof of the hospital, which partially supplies the hospital with electricity.

The Lysets community has extensive experience in the implementation of health care projects. Since 2023, the community has been participating in the USAID “Development of a Sustainable Public Health System” Project within the framework of which a space for psychosocial support “I take care of myself” has been opened in the community.

A space for psychological relaxation and sports activities “Time for yourself” has also been opened, where more than 10 specialists in the field of physical and mental health support have been trained and various activities are constantly held.

The community also participates in the project “Communities for Veterans”. The community has developed a program of social support for participants in the russo-Ukrainian war, families of the fallen, deceased, missing combatants who took and are taking part in the measures necessary to ensure the defense of Ukraine in 2024-2025.

In 2023, the community implemented the project “Equipping a resource room in the Staryi Lysets Lyceum” with the support of the Hungarian Interchurch Aid (HIA).

The community pays great attention to the development of both children’s and adult sports. Football competitions are held among adults and children, representatives of the community take part in annual sports games among local self-government bodies.

Development Strategy

The Lysets community has developed and approved the Community Development Strategy for 2024-2030.

The mission of the Lysets community is to provide comfortable, safe and affordable living for the residents of the community, preserving cultural and spiritual traditions, contributing to the development of the economy and keeping the natural wealth of the region for future generations.

A working group was created to prepare the Strategy, a survey of community residents was conducted, and strategic areas for community development were elaborated.

The community’s goals include the development of alternative energy sources, residential and utilities infrastructure, inclusive environment, investment and international cooperation, etc.

In 2020, the community head concluded an agreement on international cooperation with Gmina Łęczyca, Łęczyca County, Łódź Voivodeship.

The communities closely cooperate and share experiences in local self-government practices and in the field of education, medicine, and fire safety. With the beginning of the full-scale invasion, partners from Gmina Łęczyca repeatedly provided humanitarian aid, including for the Lysets hospital.

Thus, in the field of medicine: the construction of a rehabilitation center for the rehabilitation of war victims. Education and culture, ecology and conservation of water resources: construction of water treatment facilities; application of energy-saving technologies and renewable energy sources.

List of Sources

• Website of the Lysets community lsr.if.ua
• Page of the settlement of Lysets on Wikipedia uk.wikipedia.org
• Page of the village of Posich on Wikipedia uk.wikip edia.org
• Page of the village of Staryi Lysets uk.wikipedia.org
• Facebook page of the Lysets Settlement Council  facebook.com
• The photos used in the community profile from the archives of the Lysets settlement council were taken to order.