Rozhyshche Territorial Community

History

The first mention of Rozhyshche is dated 1545. In 1567, the Polish king Sigismund Augustus granted the town Magdeburg rights.

After the 3rd partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Rozhyshche was transferred to the Russian Empire, and after the conclusion of the Riga Peace Treaty, Rozhyshche became part of Poland within the Lutsk County of the Volyn Voivodeship. In 1939, the town became the district center of the Volyn Region of the Ukrainian SSR.

An important page in the history of the town is the Jewish community, which numbered 5,000 people. Jews developed the community, engaged in business, and donated money to charity.

However, during the Second World War, when the Germans occupied Rozhyshche, there was a mass extermination of Jews. The Germans gathered 3,700 people near a huge quarry and shot them. The memory of the dead Jews is preserved to this day.

The community has a significant historical and cultural heritage. One of the architectural monuments of national importance is the Holy Assumption Church which is located on the outskirts of the village of Sokil.

The church was built in 1816; however, a wooden box with the remains, probably of a fundus letter, sealed with a seal featuring the coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, was found in the wall of the altar part of the church. This find and other discovered specific construction features gave every reason to believe that the construction of the Holy Assumption Church in the village of Sokil started in late 15^th-early 16th centuries and to classify it as a particularly valuable architectural building.

Economy and Welfare

The main types of activity in the Rozhyshche community include agriculture, food, paper, forestry and woodworking industries.

One of the largest enterprises is Zunami LLC. Its main specialization is the full cycle of wood processing. It has 250 employees. The company’s capacity is 2,000,000 m2 per year. The Zunami company is widely known among European manufacturers of wooden floor coverings.

The Rozhyshche Cheese Factory is a powerful enterprise engaged in milk processing and butter and cheese production. The factory uses modern technologies and equipment of European quality in its production. The daily volume of cheese production is 19 tons and milk processing capacity is 200 tons. Products by the Rozhyshche Cheese Factory can be found on the shelves of well-known Ukrainian supermarkets and are also exported abroad.

More than 20 agro-industrial formations operate in the community, including farms and agricultural producers. Both branches of agriculture – plant growing and animal husbandry – are well developed here.

Chebeni Plus is among the largest pig breeding enterprises. Vishenky is engaged in the cultivation of grain crops (except rice), legumes and oil crops. TM Volyn Berries is an organic enterprise that currently occupies 350 hectares of land. The enterprise is divided into production departments where raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and sea buckthorn berries are collected.

Community and War

From the first day of the war, residents of the Rozhyshche community rallied for a common goal. Ordinary people became volunteers.

Charity fairs, concerts, various events are held to raise funds for the Armed Forces.

Meals and preserves are prepared on the basis of food units of schools and kindergartens to be further handed over to defenders on the front lines. Collections of clothing, food, hygiene products and all necessary items for internally displaced persons and military personnel are organized on the basis of the administration of the Center for the provision of administrative services and social protection of the population and in other locations.

A large number of residents of the community joined the ranks of the Armed Forces and protect Ukrainians in various directions in the combat zone. Residents of the community believe that the enemy can be repelled by joint efforts.

People of the Community

Viacheslav Polishchuk is the Head of the Rozhyshche Town Council.

Traditional in the community are cultural and artistic events on the occasion of celebrating the Town and Village Days, the Family Festival.

The traveling festival “Carols, carols come in every house” is traditional here and is held with the aim of preserving and multiplying folk traditions and customs, educating young people about family values, and promoting and developing folk crafts.

During the war, the format of events has a charitable basis and is aimed at helping the Armed Forces.

Development Strategy

The community has prepared the development strategy of the Rozhyshche urban territorial community until 2027.

Its priority goals are as follows: competitive economy of the community; development of human capital and improvement of the quality of life of community residents; sustainable development of the territory.

The territorial community development strategy is designed to unite the efforts of all stakeholders – local residents, businesses, authorities, public activists – to ensure local economic and social progress through the use of the community’s strategic advantages..

List of Sources

• Official website of the Rozhyshche Urban Territorial Community
• Facebook page of TM Volyn Berries
• Internet publication “Rozhyshche District”
• Internet publication “Lutsk Future”
• Official website of Zunami LLC