Prolisne Territorial Community

Kharkiv

Population:

The Prolisne territorial community is located in the central part of Kharkiv region in the forest-steppe zone. Its borders coincide with the state border of Ukraine with the russian federation.

The total area of the territory: 3,836.97 km2

Population: 6,861 people
Men: 2,819
Women: 3,529
Children: 983
People of retirement age: 2,312
Internally displaced persons: 685

The community includes 3 settlements and 17 villages and has its administrative center in the settlement of Prolisne.

History

There is the Chuhuiv Astronomical Observatory of the Kazarin Kharkiv National University in the community which is located near the village of Ivanivka and was founded in 1960.

Two entomological reserves of local importance – Mykhailivskyi (5.6 ha) and Studenok (4.9 ha) – are located on the territory of the community. The reserves support the existence of steppe insect pollinators of agricultural crops, some of which are listed in the Red Book of Ukraine.

Studenok, an entomological reserve of local importance Source

The village of Korobchyne was founded in 1747. Although it is somewhat younger than other population centers of the Chuhuiv district, which arose as military settlements in the 17th century, it managed to become the parish center of military settlements in the Chuhuiv district. It is about those times that the former parish administration, consisting of two preserved buildings, the northern and the southern one, reminds us. They were built back in 1823 according to a single exemplary design project and constitute an interesting monument of classicism of the early 19th century.

The Trinity Church in the village of Hrakove, Chuhuiv district, Kharkiv region, was built in 1810. A wooden church built in 1769 used to stand on its site. The building is a typical example of Empire style architecture.

The Trinity Church is an architectural monument of the Kharkiv region.

During Soviet times, the bell tower was partially destroyed and the church was used for economic purposes. It was returned to the community in 1997, after which restoration began to last until the late 2010s.

The restored Trinity Church in the village Hrakove with the renovated bell tower Source

The church and bell tower were damaged as a result of hostilities during the russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The church after the russian shelling Source

Economy and Welfare

The economy of the Slobozhanshchyna area is mainly represented by agricultural production, where there are more than a dozen farms specializing in animal husbandry, cultivation of grain crops, vegetables, horticulture and berry growing.

European route E40 of state importance connects the community with the city of Kharkiv (60 km). The community has an extensive network of internal roads that provide access to all population centers. There is a freight railway station. The landscape of the community territory allows for efficient use of solar power plants and wind generators.

Industrial production is represented by the Multi-Unit Agricultural Enterprise “Slobozhanskyi” – one of the largest in the Kharkiv region, which specializes in animal husbandry, crop husbandry and industrial processing of livestock products.

Before the full-scale invasion, Multi-Unit Agricultural Enterprise “Slobozhanskyi” was the largest tax payer in the territorial community. During the months of occupation and constant shelling, 60 out of 70 thousand pigs died.

The combined feed plant of the pig complex was heavily bombarded by russian troops with petal mines. As a result, about 20% of livestock were crippled.

The plant left the occupation with 10% of the entire population. Currently, Slobozhanskyi plans to increase the number of breeding sows and gradually expand its work again.

Multi-Unit Agricultural Enterprise “Slobozhanskyi” Source

Small entrepreneurship is focused on trade and intermediary activities and running personal peasant farms.

In total, about 80 legal entities (mainly agricultural, commercial, service entities) and more than 200 individual entrepreneurs (trade and commercial activities) operate in the territory of the community.

There are 6 secondary education institutions (lyceums), 2 preschool institutions, 1 out-of-school education institution, 5 cultural centers and 7 libraries in the Prolisne settlement territorial community.

There is also an extensive network of health care facilities, including 1 Center for Primary Medical and Sanitary Care, 4 out-patient clinics of general practice of family medicine and 5 outpatient points.

Opening of the renovated “emergency room” Source

Community and War

The distance to the border with the russian federation is 121 km, so the community was one of the first to meet the enemy on February 24, 2022. Out of 20 population centers, only 3 were not occupied by the enemy, but everyone felt the full extent of war.

The road from Kharkiv to the settlement of Prolisne, the center of the community of the same name, passes through villages affected by russian aggression.

Korobchyne, Hrakove, Zaliznychne, Mykolaivka – each of the two dozen population centers of the community directly felt the consequences of russian aggression: shelling, kidnapping, torture, murder, looting.

Most of the Prolisne community of the Kharkiv region was under occupation. The soldiers of the russian federation bullied and brutalized local residents for their pro-Ukrainian position.

Three population centers of the Prolisne community – Bazaliivka, Lebyazhe and Korobchyne – were located on the contact line. It was the front line under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. All other 17 population centers of the community were occupied. Local residents could get out of the russian occupation only in the first month, after that the enemy “closed” the exit from the community towards Ukraine. Those who could no longer tolerate the abuse and constant persecution by the invaders left for Europe through the russian federation.

At first, when the russian military entered the community, there was still an opportunity to leave in the direction of Chuhuiv and Kharkiv. From June, when mass evacuations across the Pechenizka dam began, residents were also leaving. But there were very few of them, not all of them could leave.

In the first month of the occupation, the community was able to provide itself with humanitarian aid at least a little. The former Prolisne Settlement Head and his team went to pick it up.

Then they could leave in minibuses and get something in Kharkiv. Literally a month later, the occupiers prohibited this. People were forced to find new solutions on their own – if someone managed to get to Chuhuiv or Kharkiv, they brought products from there. But there were problems even in Chuhuiv at that time – the shelves in stores were practically empty. The occupiers themselves issued negligible “humanitarian aid””. Then people were saved by the Slobozhanskyi pig complex.

During the entire period of occupation, the pig complex gave out meat to the locals twice a week. In general, several thousand pigs were given out during this time, so that people could survive in the brutal conditions of the occupation.

Compound feed plant in Prolisne September 26, 2022 Source

According to the association “Pig Farmers of Ukraine”, Slobozhanskyi found itself under rocket and artillery fire. 34 of the 42 buildings of the main farm in Prolisne and four buildings of the breeder in Ivanivka, as well as almost all warehouses were destroyed. In addition, the invaders stole almost all the equipment from the tractor fleet, luted the administrative building and the warehouses of the slaughterhouse.

The Slobozhansky pig complex was forced to dismiss about 180 employees. Now the company is working as usual.

In the Prolisne community, the occupiers bullied people, stole money and cars, and drove them out of local homes. In the village of Zaliznychne after the de-occupation, law enforcement officers discovered the bodies of four people with traces of torture. Three of them were buried on the territory of their homesteads, one – on the territory of the asphalt plant opposite the railway station of the village of Zaliznychne.

People were tortured to death only in Zaliznychne. In Prolisne, the occupiers killed a man in his own garage with a shot in the back. His phone, minibus and money were taken from him.

According to the head of the Prolisne settlement military administration, similar situations did not happen often, but they did happen. Thus, just to “warm up”, an enemy sniper, who was at a local elevator, killed a civilian. The man’s body lay at the scene of the murder for four months.

It was mostly about bullying and brutalizing. People were demanded money, evicted from their homes, especially if the home was in good condition. Those who did not want to give money were taken to the basements of Shevchenkove and Balaklia. People were beaten there. The occupiers did this mostly to the entrepreneurs of the community, – notes the head of the Prolisne settlement military administration.

There were units of the FSB in Shevchenkove and Balaklia, whose task was to beat confessions out. People were electrocuted in an attempt to get various information. A kind of “prison” was also set up by the occupiers in the area of the village of Doslidne of the Prolisne community.

On the premises of the agricultural enterprise in Doslidne, there were rooms where people who supported Ukraine were kept. These people, despite all the abuse, said that they were Ukrainians and would not go over to the side of the occupiers. For this, they were kept without food and water for several days.

The occupiers also set up a similar facility in the village of Yurchenkove on the basis of one of the administrative buildings. Some people who went through all the abuses of the russian invaders still remain in the community. They receive psychological help if they wish. “Doctors without Borders” arrive in the community. They also have psychologists, but they mainly work with children.

The center of the community – the settlement of Prolisne – was the least affected by the shelling, although there were “arrivals” as well.

The village of Hrakove was hit very hard, it was destroyed by 65-70%. Very large areas in the village itself are mined. There they find streamers, tank mines, petal mines – everything is simply strewn with explosive objects. The entire infrastructure, administrative buildings, a dispensary, the local school were obliterated beyond repair. Hrakove has been completely destroyed by the invaders – so much so, that the locals cannot recognize their village anymore.

Absolutely everything was mined, it was very difficult to provide people with gas. Now the gas supply has been fully restored. People lived without electricity for eight months. In order for energy and gas companies to work, the territory had to be demined. Demining works have been ongoing since the beginning of de-occupation. It is impossible to say when they will be finished though.

Thanks to the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Territorial Defense Forces and other military units, the blue-yellow flag flew over the Prolisne Settlement Council on September 10, 2022 again.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine liberated Prolisne Source

After the de-occupation, sappers worked every day to enable utility enterprises to bring electricity and gas to the community’s population centers. 120 antipersonnel landmines were found on one kilometer of the gas pipeline. There are especially many mines lying in abandoned homesteads, “petals” in particular.

The village of Korobchyne was heavily damaged. A school there was destroyed by a direct hit. About 30% of the village was damaged or destroyed, and our military was defending it. The village of Korobchyne has almost every third house destroyed or damaged. There were also a lot of fires.

The projectile that got stuck in the ceilings of the Korobchyne Lyceum Source

The facade of the Korobchyne Lyceum during renovation Source

Currently, the community is conducting work to fix damage and destruction of buildings and infrastructure. Local residents apply for compensation for destroyed housing. Applications are accepted by a team of eight people, which includes the head of the Prolisne settlement military administration.

The tendency for people to return is observed in every population center of the community.

Currently, there are no problems with humanitarian aid in the Prolisne community. It cooperates with various foundations and the district military administration. There is a warehouse in Prolisne where all aid is centrally transported.

The heating season began in the Prolisne community with great delay.

When Serhii Kotenko was appointed the head of the Prolisne settlement military administration, he did not yet have the authority to appoint the head of housing and utilities and other departments. The previous head of housing and utilities died of an illness during the occupation, and the entire structure froze.

It was possible to appoint a new head of housing and utilities at the very beginning of December. Only then did the preparations for the heating season begin.

Thanks to Naftogaz, it was possible to conclude contracts quickly, they were even able to pay off a certain part of the debts, and within two and a half weeks gas was supplied to the boiler houses.

After the de-occupation, water was supplied in Prolisne four to five hours a day. There is a well on the territory of the Slobozhanskyi pig farm, from where the company used its own pumps to supply water to the settlement. Previously, water was supplied from wells in the village of Lebyazhe. But due to broken high-voltage power lines, pumps and engines did not operate for a long time and failed.

Mined fields are considered a priority problem in the Prolisne community. Demining agricultural land will take a lot of time. Agricultural labor is already underway in the demined areas.

80% of fields are mined or potentially mined. Farmers cannot sow and harvest accordingly, because there is nothing to harvest. Because of this, unemployment rate is 60% in the community.

Electricity and Internet have been restored in all population centers of the community. Providers have restored their networks as much as possible to connect the Internet. Wired Internet was also restored in Prolisne and Korobchyne.

1 Starlink was allocated for the entire community. It was transferred to the school so that the children could learn. Teachers remained in other population centers of the community. Children came to them for homework, studied in such conditions. However, now all lyceums were able to switch to online education.

Despite all the difficulties, the Point of Invincibility was created in Prolisne and about 12 heating points were set up throughout the community. All heating points have generators, boilers and basic necessities. In these points, people can warm up, drink tea, coffee, and recharge their gadgets.

Mainly, there is no light in Prolisne only due to infrastructure damage, however, blackouts are very rare, not including scheduled blackouts.

After the de-occupation, the Prolisne community is rebuilding what was destroyed by russian troops, starting new projects for its residents and attracting foreign investments for reconstruction and development.

People of the Community

Serhii Kotenko is the head of the Prolisne Settlement Military Administration.

The community authorities apply an open and contact approach which promotes effective interaction with residents.

An event for active entrepreneurs called “Breakfast with the Authorities” was recently launched. This meeting took place in a warm, family atmosphere, at the same time it was business-oriented and constructive.

Also, in the village of Ivanivka, the mini- project “Modernization of the playground and restoration of park and street lighting” was successfully implemented with the support of the Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine. Representatives of philanthropists noted the importance of such mini-projects, which make it possible to make significant changes for small funds, thus uniting and cohering the community. It is planned to continue this practice in the future.

With the assistance of the local administration, the work of the police administration was resumed which was looted and damaged by the russian military during the occupation of the community. Now the police officers of the community will be able to solve security problems in the territory of the Prolisne community more efficiently and quickly, prevent crimes, respond to appeals and messages from citizens.

The head of the community with the policemen Source

Development Strategy

The community has created a working group for the prepartion of the Recovery and Development Plan, as well as a working group for the preparation of the Strategic Development Plan until 2029.

The goal of the strategy of the Prolisne community is to create a viable and sustainable socio-economic environment that ensures a high standard of living for all residents over the next four years. The community strives to achieve integrated development, combining economic, social and environmental aspects.

Strategic goals:

Increasing the level of the economy and attracting investments. The community has vacant plots of land for business.

Recommended business ideas:

⎻ Construction of a waste processing plant.

⎻ Construction of warehouses.

Improving the quality of life, providing access to infrastructure.

Land plot (13 hectares) + convenient location in relation to infrastructure Source

Recommended business ideas:

⎻ Construction of a milk processing unit (raw materials available).

⎻ Construction of a grain processing unit (raw materials available).

⎻ Construction of a biogas plant (raw materials available).

⎻ Other businesses based on the use and processing of grains and milk.

Social development and environmental security

Land plot (36 hectares) + Coniferous forest + At a distance from population centers Source

Land plot (11 hectares) + the River of Siverskyi Donets Source

Recommended business ideas:

⎻ Rehabilitation center.

⎻ Camping or glamping site.

⎻ Boarding house for the care and accommodation of elderly people.

⎻ Other businesses based on the use and preservation of natural and ecological resources of the location.

List of Sources

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