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Vyzhnytsia Territorial Community
Chernivtsi
Population:
The Vyzhnytsia territorial community is located on the territory of Vyzhnytsia district, Chernivtsi region.
The total area of the territory: 183.43 km²
Population: 16,612 people
Men: 7,787
Women: 8,825
Children: 4,106
People of retirement age: 2,755
Internally displaced persons: 2,339
The community includes 1 town and 9 villages and has its administrative center in Vyzhnytsia.
History
It is not known for sure when Vyzhnytsia was founded. According to one of the versions, the town was first mentioned in the annals as a settlement on the Cheremosh River as early as 1158. According to another, the first mention of the town is contained in the Moldavian chronicle for the year 1501. Vyzhnytsia is called the gate to the Bukovyna Carpathians.
Almost half a century ago, the country’s first musical film was shot here. After that, whole trains of young people from Chernivtsi came to the Vyzhnytsia club for musical evenings.
The town, located on the banks of the rapid Cheremosh among the undisturbed nature of the mountains, has long been a resort. And a narrow-gauge railway (a railway with a track narrower than the standard one) between the population centers of the current community operated as far back as the early 20th century.
The Vyzhnytsia area is rich in natural attractions: the Dovbush cave, Protiate Kaminnia and Sokolyne Oko rocks, numerous waterfalls on the Vyzhenka River, springs of natural mineral waters. The community also has the Vyzhnytsia National Nature Park with an area of 11,238 hectares.
There is also Carpathian Stonehenge in the community. On the ridges of the mountains there are boulders with carved solar signs. According to them, the ancient highlanders determined the length of days and the changes of the seasons by the movement of the sun. The solar observatory dates back to about the 1st century BC.
There are 5 different springs on the territory of the community. The water of each of them has different healing qualities because it has a unique mineralization. One is hydrogen sulfide Naftusia, the other spring’s water is enriched with iron. There is also salt turpentine, which is useful for external use. The community arranges pump stations near the wells so that tourists can conveniently collect local drinking water.
Vyzhnytsia is also the land of Hutsul festivals. Before the pandemic, half a dozen large-scale events were held there every year. Various ethnographic groups gather there, folk crafts fairs are held. In the community, you can visit the Museum of Hutsul cuisine – learn more about mountain culture, life, the secrets of local cooking, and also participate in the preparation of authentic dishes yourself.
Economy and Welfare
The full-scale war unleashed by the russian federation against Ukraine caused a significant crisis in the production sector, both in the country and in the community: the security situation, a significant limitation of trade and economic relations, a significant complication of logistics, population migration, the outflow of qualified personnel, rising prices for energy resources, fuel and raw materials. Due to the lack of orders and workforce, woodworking enterprises of the community “Timber Way” and the enterprise for the production of alternative types of fuel “Bukovyna Eco Invest” shut down their operations. However, despite the economic difficulties, there is an increase in the volume of industrial production and sales.
The Vyzhnytsia community, together with the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, implements a program for the relocation of Ukrainian enterprises that were in the zone of active hostilities. With the beginning of the full-scale war, 10 relocated enterprises from the war zone started operating in the community.
Also, during the period of the full-scale invasion, 4 newly created enterprises, which in particular specialize in the production of furniture, modular houses, metal processing and non-specialized wholesale trade in electrical equipment, started operating in the territory of the community.
One of the relocated companies creates modular houses for displaced people. The houses are equipped with furniture, appliances and internet.
The relocated company from Sloviansk manufactures equipment for power grids and railways. Previously, the company worked for export, but after the shelling of critical infrastructure it is focused only on the Ukrainian market. In order to fulfill all orders, they work around the clock in three shifts. After the end of the war, they plan to resume the main production in Sloviansk, but also want to keep their branch in Vyzhnytsia. The enterprise started operating in the Donetsk region in 2007.
The relocated enterprise “Ukrledlight” is engaged in the production of decorative lighting for apartments, offices and commercial buildings.
On the territory of the Vyzhnytsia urban territorial community, 15 economic entities are engaged in the cultivation of agricultural crops.
The community has 7 preschool education institutions and 1 preschool unit included in the Ispas gymnasium, 9 general secondary education institutions, including 4 base lyceums, 2 lyceums, 3 gymnasiums, a creative school, an inclusive resource center, and a center for professional development of teaching staff of the Vyzhnytsia district.
Medical assistance to the population of the community is provided by the Center for Primary Medical Care, which consists of 4 dispensaries of general practice of family medicine and 4 medical and midwifery stations. There is also the Vyzhnytsia Multidisciplinary Intensive Care Hospital.
Community and War
Since the beginning of the russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the community has received about 15,000 internally displaced persons on the territory of the community’s population centers. They were placed in recreation centers, a boarding school, a college dormitory, schools, kindergartens, and private homes.
The executive committee of the Vyzhnytsia Town Council made every effort to arrange proper conditions in the bomb shelters in the educational institutions of the community, in order to continue educational process in the conditions of martial law.
Great help was received from the volunteers of “Chervona Ruta”, the Center for Community Development “Idea. Action. Result” (NGO) – assistance to internally displaced persons temporarily living in the territory of the community (providing humanitarian aid, carrying out cultural and educational work with teenagers).
Internally displaced persons received humanitarian aid from a large number of international and public organizations (ACTED, People in need, Red Cross Society of Ukraine, World Central Kitchen, UNICEF Representative Office in Ukraine, Charitable Foundation “Act 4 Ukraine”, Community Development Agency through UNDP.
People of the community
Oleksii Chepil is the head of the Vyzhnytsia territorial community.
During his leadership, the community developed anti-corruption tools and formed the Anti-Corruption Council. As part of anti-corruption activities, supervisory boards have been formed at educational institutions, electronic petitions have been developed and public hearings are held.
A large number of donor resources and international technical assistance were attracted.
With the assistance of the Charitable Foundation “SOS Children’s Towns of Ukraine”, a sensory playroom was set up in Vyzhnytsia.
As part of the “DOBRE” Program, the Carpathian Gate Youth Space was created in the Vyzhnytsia territorial community. A pre-project visualization of the reconstruction and zoning of the territory of the Viche Maidan and a mobile stage for Vyzhnytsia, the festival capital of Bukovyna, was developed.
As part of the human security project of the Kusanone program, initiated by the Government of Japan, an ultrasound diagnostic device was purchased for the Vyzhnytsia Hospital.
As part of the project of the international charity fund “Isolation”, generators were purchased for places of collective residence of internally displaced persons.
The community received a grant from the European Union and have already equipped a playground in Vyzhnytsia.
The representative office of IOM and ACTED provide building materials for repair and construction works to equip a shelter in the village of Chornohuzy.
Also, the Vyzhnytsia Town Council passed the competitive selection for the “DOBRE-2” Program, thanks to which it is planned to attract about USD 150,000.
In September 2023, the community became the winner of the competition and a participant in the project on local recovery planning, announced by the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine with the support of UNDP in Ukraine and funding from the Government of Japan.
Also, the Vyzhnytsia community took part in the pilot project “Creation of a mobile home service for single disabled citizens, palliative care and in-kind assistance”, in the framework of which a special car was received that contains equipment for servicing the homes of people who cannot take care of their own households.
The Coordination Council of Internally Displaced Persons became the winner of the competition announced by UNDP and implemented the “Family Alley” project – 25 benches and stands with images of each region of Ukraine were installed along the Cheremosh River.
Development Strategy
The community has approved the Sustainable Development Strategy for 2021-2029.
The document emphasizes the balanced development of the community, which involves the integration of ecological, economic and socio-cultural components. As a result of such an approach, the quality of life of residents is expected to increase, with prospects for the sustainability of such growth.
Four strategic priorities were identified:
– development of entrepreneurship and agriculture
– center of tourism and recreation
– space for comprehensive development and self-realization
– a place comfortable for life
As part of the project activity, the project “Co-working center in the Vyzhnytsia community for career guidance of young people and internally displaced persons” is being implemented.
The Vyzhnytsia Town Council won the competition announced by the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine and is implementing the project “Establishment of a crisis center for victims of domestic violence.”
As part of The USAID Program, “Decentralization Offering Better Results and Efficiency” (DOBRE) a backhoe loader was received, which is planned to be used to effectively eliminate breaks in the water supply network and improve the water supply system in the town of Vyzhnytsia.
As part of the Program announced by UNICEF, four base education institutions of the community received USD 2,000.0 each for the purchase of food unit equipment. The community also received about 140 backpacks for preschool girls and 16 boxes with books for community preschool education institutions.
As part of the “PEARL” project, the DOBRE Program financed 10 small business projects for a total amount of about USD 70,000.
List of Sources
- The sources from which the information/photo were taken are indicated here
- Official website of the Vyzhnytsia Town Council
- Sustainable Development Strategy of the Vyzhnytsia Territorial Community until 2025
- link to the website of the Vyzhnytsia Town Council
- acc.cv.ua/news/chernivtsi