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Svesa Territorial Community
Sumy
Population:
The Svesa Settlement Territorial Community is located in the territory of the Shostka District in the Sumy Region.
The total area of the territory: 296.02 sq. km.
Population: 7,646 residents
Men: 3,099 residents
Women: 3,803 residents
Children: 744 residents
Pensioners: 2,668 residents
Internally displaced persons: 269 people
The Community consists of seventeen settlements with its administrative centre being located in the township of Svesa.
History
In ancient times, people lived in the territory where the Community is now located. The village, which now has the status of a township, was founded in the 1670s as a watchtower. Due to its good location and the natural wealth of the forest area, this village turned into a military-strategic, rear raw material base.
After the abolition of serfdom and the launch of the Konotop-Briansk railway, the existing enterprises expanded and Svesa turned into a rather large settlement of workers.
In the late 17th century, the lands belonged to the family of Hetman Ivan Samoilovych, and in 1765 they passed to the Nepliuev family. Mykola Nepliuev owned many factories on this land, and in order to increase the number of workers, he brought in residents from other villages. The status of the settlement was granted in 1938.
The Community has had a Blue Well spring since long ago. The residents of the settlement have no idea when the spring began to exist, but it is known that it has existed for more than a hundred years. The blue colour of the nourishing spring water gave the name to this amazing well; the water there does not freeze even in the strongest frosts. This area is gaining popularity every year.
Economy and Welfare
As a result of its good geographical location, the Community has great economic potential. Svesa and its lands are part of the zone of Ukrainian Polissia, therefore the wood processing and logging industries are mainly developed there.
Six agricultural enterprises and two farms are engaged in agricultural activities in the territory of the Community.
The Svesa Forestry works in the Community running a wood processing shop and producing finished products that are exported.
The Community’s industrial enterprise is the Svesa Pump Plant founded in 1879. It holds a leading position in the field of pump engineering not only in Ukraine, but also abroad. The unique products of the plant are steam, hydraulic, dosing, plunger pumps, high and ultra-high pressure pumps, chemical equipment, non-ferrous casting of copper-based alloys, cast iron, centrifugal pumps, etc.
With the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion into the territory of Ukraine, the company almost stopped its operation. But thanks to additional financing, the plant continues to work and design new types of products.
Under the Project “Support of front-line volunteers in Sumy” the Informal Education Centre of the Svesa Community has been created with the support of USAID Ukraine. It was established for everyone who wants to develop, have a fun and useful leisure time, and make the Community and the country a better place to live. The representatives of education and culture have come together in the Centre to make the lives of young people brighter in difficult, dark times.
A Youth Space has been created under the project “Active position of my region. Through children’s eyes” with the support of USAID. Film screenings, book club meetings, artistic meetings, sports events, environmental campaigns, various trainings, etc. are held there.
The VIDNOVA:UA youth project has been implemented within the framework of the UNDP projects “Supporting civil society and youth” and “Promoting human security in Ukraine by responding to the multidimensional crisis caused by war” with the financial support of Denmark and Japan,.
Twenty young people from different parts of Ukraine, joined by ten local youth, plunged into the atmosphere of friendship and exchange of experiences for five days.
In the territory of the Community, with the support of the Academy of Family Medicine and the World Health Organization, the project “Mobile teams of doctors to provide medical assistance to the rural population” is implemented.
The Community signed a Partnership Memorandum with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) in Ukraine (international technical assistance project “Supporting Decentralization Reform in Ukraine / Program for Ukraine on Empowerment at the Local Level, Accountability and Development (UDU/U-LEAD with Europe: phase II).The project provides for the provision of vehicles, equipment, tools, the purchase of building materials and other tangible assets for the restoration of damaged social facilities in the community.
The network of educational institutions in the Community consists of one vocational educational institution, two secondary schools, two branches and two children’s preschool institutions.
Community and War
The Svesa Settlement Territorial Community is located 15 kilometres away from the aggressor country – the russian federation. The Community is included in the list of territories where hostilities are (were) taking place or temporarily occupied by the russian federation, namely, it is in the zone of possible hostilities.
To date, 150 apartments, buildings and facilities, eight businesses have been damaged in the territory of the Svesa Settlement Territorial Community, and three educational institutions, a culture centre, a medical institution, a social institution and an industrial enterprise have been partially destroyed and damaged.
The territory of the Community became a home for 269 refugees. The humanitarian hub makes a lot of efforts to provide food, medicines, hygiene products, clothes and other necessary things to displaced people and socially vulnerable groups of the population.
In the territory of the Community, in the event of a blackout emergency situation, that is, a long-term absence of light, five Points of Invincibility have been created to provide heat, water and lighting. One can drink hot tea, charge their gadgets and call their relatives. The Points are open 24 hours a day and all the services are free.
People of the Community
Head of the Community: Serhii Kyrkach
Since the first days of the war, the head has ensured the full functioning of the Community in all the areas.
The most important achievements include the creation of the communal non-profit enterprise “Svesa Primary Medical and Sanitary Aid Centre”, the purchase of school buses for transporting students to schools, and the repair of roads.
Since the first day of the war, Hryhorii Trukhan (father Hryhorii) has actively participated in the life of the settlement. He regularly organizes charity events in support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, holds charity fairs to raise funds for the military. Along with the residents of the settlement and the Sunday school children, he makes trench candles, cooks ready-made food and semi-finished products (pancakes, dumplings, dried vegetables for borshch). He initiated a campaign in support of Maksym Moskovka, a resident of the settlement, who has been in captivity since the beginning of the war.
The residents of Svesa are proud of their countryman Valentyn Panchenko, who worked as a coach for more than 33 years, founded the ski racing department in Svesa, and was the director of the district sports school for many years. The achievements of Valenytyn Panchenko’s trainees speak for themselves as they include dozens of champions in Ukraine and winners of international competitions.
Development Strategy
The economic development of the Community implies the creation of a competitive industrial and agricultural complex, the stimulation of small and medium-sized businesses, and the development of tourism. For this purpose, a project for the development of social entrepreneurship and regulation of the local retail market was developed. Firstly, the idea of local production and sale with the support of the Community gives a pricing and quality advantage to the local producer among the big market players; secondly, the project is aimed at the future perspective of expansion and creation of local processing of products (drying, canning, etc.).
With this project, a team of representatives of the Svesa Settlement Territorial Community was selected for the training program “Steps for project management specialists – 2023” U-LEAD.
Infrastructure development includes construction, reconstruction, overhaul of housing and communal facilities, including on the basis of energy efficiency, support of alternative energy, and development of road infrastructure.
Project and estimate documentation was developed for the project “Reconstruction of the Svesa preschool educational institution nursery-kindergarten “Berizka”.
