Semenivka Territorial Community

History

Modern Semenivka area has rich historical roots – most of its settlements arose in the late 17th – early 18th centuries as Cossack settlements. Semenivka was founded in 1680 by Colonel Semen Samoilovych and played a strategic role as a northern outpost of the Hetmanship.

At the beginning of the 18th century, a historic event took place near Semenivka: Hetman Ivan Mazepa announced the beginning of the struggle for Ukraine’s independence. This happened during the Northern War between Sweden and Russia, when Mazepa supported the Swedish King Charles XII against Peter I.

Among the architectural monuments of the community, it is worth noting the Church of the Icon of the Kazan Mother of God, built in 1874. This is a five-bay church. The height of its belfry is 47.5 meters. The church is a vivid example of the Byzantine style of cult architecture.

Another architectural monument is the house of Notary Popov, built in 1912. After the revolutionary events, the owner left the house, and since then the building has played various roles. In particular, it housed the German Gestapo during the Second World War.

The well-known scientist, Doctor of Chemical Sciences Oleksandr Khomutov is one the famous residents of the community. In the 1930s, he developed a new synthetic material – kirza (tarpaulin) – which became an important discovery for the shoe industry at that time.

Thanks to this material, strong and practical kirza boots were created, which were widely used in various industries, in particular in military sector. Oleksandr Khomutov is deservedly called the “father of kirza boots”, which became an important part of the industrial and technological progress of that time.

Economy and Welfare

Agriculture is the basis of the community’s economy which provides a significant share of the gross domestic product. This industry is mainly represented by small and medium-sized farms, most of which specialize in crop production. They grow grain crops (rye, triticale, winter wheat, buckwheat, corn), technical crops (winter rapeseed, sunflower, pumpkins for seeds) and potatoes.

In addition, several small enterprises are engaged in dairy farming, which adds diversity to the local economy.

Since 37.2% of the e community’s area is covered with forests, mostly mixed ones, the woodworking and logging industry is actively developing in the community. The forestry industry plays an important role in creating jobs and providing the community with the necessary materials for construction and manufacturing of wood products.

Among the industrial enterprises of the community, a manufacturer of textile products stands out, which produces blankets, pillows, bed linen, plaids and other goods.

In addition, the community has an enterprise for the production of work shoes, as well as an enterprise specializing in the extraction of peat, peat soil and the production of peat briquettes.

Community and War

The Semenivka community was one of Ukraine’s first to experience the horrors of the full-scale russian invasion. Due to its strategic location on the border with the russian federation (the length of the border is about 140 km), the community immediately found itself under threat of enemy attack.

As soon as the first hours of the invasion, convoys of russian vehicles began to move along the roads of the community, creating danger for local residents and destroying infrastructure. Semenivka experienced the first mortar attacks in April 2022, which was the beginning of regular attacks.

 Currently, the community is subjected to constant systematic shelling by the aggressor. Enemy artillery attacks and airstrikes cause significant damage to the community’s infrastructure.

There are many destroyed and damaged schools, kindergartens and other educational institutions, as well as buildings where the cultural centers of the community were located.

Several paramedical and midwifery stations, as well as the building of the town hospital, were damaged which makes it difficult to provide medical assistance to the population in the conditions of war. 

Administrative premises, which previously ensured the work of local self-government bodies and community leadership, were also damaged.

The community’s industrial infrastructure and agricultural sector suffered the greatest destruction. As a result of constant artillery shelling and airstrikes, industrial enterprises and agricultural objects were damaged or destroyed. There are damaged warehouses, hangars, workshops, garages.

Cowsheds and other farm buildings were destroyed which resulted in the loss of cattle. Agricultural machinery was lost which significantly complicated agricultural work in the area.

A total of 374 residential buildings were affected, some of which were completely destroyed, leaving hundreds of families homeless.

In response to the challenges of the war, the Humanitarian Headquarters was established at the Semenivka Town Council in April 2022. The main goal of the headquarters is to analyze the needs of the community and coordinate assistance from national and international humanitarian organizations. The headquarters plays a key role in ensuring the supply of food, medicine, clothing and other essential resources to the war-affected community.

The town council also developed and approved the Program for ensuring the livelihood of the Semenivka community in the conditions of martial law. This program defines the procedure for receiving and issuing humanitarian aid coming from donors. Thanks to this initiative, community residents have access to humanitarian support, which is vital in the face of constant shelling and destruction.

The coordination of the work of the Humanitarian Headquarters with international partners makes it possible to attract a significant amount of aid, in particular from the EU, UN, Red Cross and other organizations, which contributes to the maintenance of community life in these extremely difficult times.

People of the Community

The Semenivka community is headed by Mayor Serhii Dedenko.

Thanks to his competent leadership and coordinated work of the team, the community is able to overcome challenges, in particular, in the conditions of war, and at the same time ensure its sustainable development. Under his leadership, important projects on modernization of infrastructure, saving of energy resources and development of social facilities were implemented. Cooperation with the team allows quickly responding to community problems, attracting resources and making effective management decisions. Thanks to this approach, the Semenivka community becomes an example of active development and support of the well-being of its residents, even in difficult times.

The mayor’s job is to improve the life of the community. One of the main directions of work is the switch of all communally owned boiler houses to an alternative type of fuel. Given that our community is rich in forests, there is an opportunity to provide firewood for the boiler rooms of communally owned institutions. In the conditions of modern problems, this made it possible not only to save the town budget, but also to ensure that people feel warm in social institutions around the clock. 

According to the results of a social survey conducted during the preparation of the community development strategy, the residents identified the development and modernization of road infrastructure as a priority task for the local authorities. Taking into account the wishes of the residents, the construction and major repair of roads were carried out in the community. In order to preserve and maintain the road surface, small pothole repairs were done using the pneumatic jet method and the method of laying bitumen emulsion together with crushed stone, which also turned out to be quite effective and allowed extending the service life of the roads.

Physical culture and sports unite the residents of the community. In recent years, a number of sports facilities that promote an active lifestyle have been built and reconstructed in the community.

Among the new and renovated sports facilities, we can mention a mini-football field with artificial turf, a multifunctional sportsground with artificial turf for volleyball and other sportsgrounds. There is also a town stadium in the community, where football championships were regularly held both at the local and regional levels before the war.

Thanks to the development of the sports infrastructure, the residents of the community have the opportunity to engage in various sports, which positively affects their health and general well-being.

Development Strategy

Full of determination and enthusiasm, the Semenivka community prepared an ambitious Sustainable Development Strategy for 2019-2027, which aimed to ensure stable growth and prosperity of the area. However, with the beginning of russia’s war against Ukraine, it turned out that strategic plans need to be adjusted to meet new conditions and challenges.

In January 2024, the community approved a new Program for comprehensive restoration of the territory of the Semenivka urban territorial community. This program was a response to modern challenges and defined new strategic areas of development that would ensure the recovery and sustainable development of the community in conditions of constant threat and uncertainty.

The community seeks to maximize the use of its agricultural potential, which is a significant resource for the area’s economy. Business development and investment attraction are also an important part of the strategy. This involves supporting local entrepreneurs, stimulating new business initiatives and creating a favorable investment climate that will contribute to the economic growth of the community.

In order to improve the quality of life of community residents, special attention is paid to the development of engineering infrastructure. It is planned to increase energy efficiency, modernize road and transport infrastructure, as well as improve water supply and drainage systems. In addition, major repairs and improvements to shelters are included, which is critical for ensuring the safety of residents in wartime conditions.

The program also focuses on improving the quality of services in the key areas: education, culture, health care and social security. This includes modernization of educational and cultural institutions, improvement of medical services and administrative procedures. Improving the living conditions of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the community is also an important aspect which will help integrate them into the local community and provide them with the necessary support.

It is these areas that respond to the challenges facing the region, but the strategy is also aimed at creating a stable and prosperous community that can cope with any difficulties and ensure a high standard of living for its residents.

List of Sources

• Wikipedia 
• Official website of the Semenivka Town Council
• Facebook pages:
• Semenivka Town Council
• Ridna Semenivka
• Life of Semenivka area
• The Sustainable Development Strategy of the Semenivka Territorial Community for 2019-2027
• The Program for comprehensive restoration of the territory of the Semenivka urban territorial community 
• Mayor’s reports
• Suspilne. News