Katerynopil Territorial Community

Cherkasy
Population:

The Katerynopil Settlement Territorial Community is located in the Zvenyhorod district, Cherkasy region

The total area of the territory is 441,87 km2
The population of the Community is 12,498 people
Women: 6,621
Men: 5,877
Children under 18 years old: 1,986 
People of retirement age: 2,574 
The employable population of the community is 7,938 people (64% of the total population)

Internally displaced persons as of 01.01.2023: 568 

The Community’s administrative centre is located in Katerynopil. It is situated 207 km from the capital of Ukraine, 124 km from Cherkasy and 18 km from Zvenyhorod.

The Community consists of 21 population centres: 1 urban-type settlement, 19 villages, and 1 settlement.

The administrative centre of the Katerynopil Territorial Community
The administrative centre of the Katerynopil Territorial Community

 History

The Katerynopil Territorial Community was established in 2020 though merging population centres with the rich history. The community’s centre is Katerynopil (Kalnyboloto until 1795). People have lived here for 10 or more thousand years. This is proved by a ritual sanctuary and a stone sacrificial bull found near the village of Kaitanivka, as well as stone grain grinders, hatchets, choppers and other tools. 

The remnants of Trypillian culture settlements (2nd-4th centuries BC) were found on the territory of the Community. 

Kalnyboloto was founded in 1545. The settlement was a part of the Bracław Voivodeship at that time. Polish king Sigismund II Augustus granted its inhabitants a privilege to engage in crafts and trade activities and practice self-government. Another hamlet down the Tikych River received the name Neberybisy. The legends and Cossack chronicles tell that it was founded by a Cossack who called himself Neberybisy, thus giving the name to the village.

During the Liberation War of the Ukrainian people in 1648-1654, Kalnyboloto was a sotnia town in the Korsun Regiment. After the Truce of Andrusovo in 1667, Kalnyboloto returned under the Polish control. Social, national, and religious discrimination from the Polish landlords caused the inhabitants’ anger and made them struggle for their freedom. The Kalnyboloto peasants participated actively in the Haidamak movement on Right-bank Ukraine. Kalnyboloto runaways joined the New Sich after its foundation in 1734 on the banks of the Pidpylna River. They created the Kalnyboloto kurin (unit of Cossack troop), and its history is still honoured today.

The children’s and youth organization “Cossack Kurin” functions at the educational centre in the village of Viknyne. Its main goals are: to form nationally conscious Ukrainian citizens; to continue Cossack customs and traditions in the current conditions; and to inspire everyone to develop the best features of the Ukrainian patriot.

Little Cossacks from the Viknyne kurin
Little Cossacks from the Viknyne kurin

The Katerynopil area has a lot of interesting historical events and places. The Katerynopil Local History Museum can interest history lovers. The museum’s exhibitions reveal the past and present of Katerynopil and its neighbourhoods. The museum’s collection has 750 artefacts. They cover the regional history, local customs and traditions.

Artefacts of the Katerynopil Local History Museum
Artefacts of the Katerynopil Local History Museum

There are 15 religious centres of different confessions in the Community. They include the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, the Evangelical Baptist Christians, the Full Gospel Church “Life in Christ”, the Christian Church “Life in Christ” and the Seventh-day Adventists Church.

St. Michael's Church in Katerynopil
St. Michael's Church in Katerynopil

Economy and Welfare

The Katerynopil Territorial Community is the agricultural neighbourhood. The Community has about 80 farms and agricultural enterprises that cover an area of 23 thousand hectares.

The agricultural business specializes mainly in growing grain and technical crops. Some farms are also engaged in animal husbandry. There are no big industrial enterprises in the Community. At the same time, there are unused lands here. They can be considered as a reserve for increasing the community’s industrial potential. An on-going issue is the re-launch of the LLC “Mokrokalyhirskyi Lignite Open-Cut” in the village of Lysycha Balka.

Entrepreneurial activity is rapidly developing in the Community. Many local businessmen are developing the consumer sector.

There are more than thousand business entities in the Community.

The Community is known for its creative amateur folklore groups, including four with the “People’s” title. Local needlewomen, craftsmen, artists, and children sports teams were named winners of regional and republican competitions many times.

Football team of Katerynopil Children's and Youth Sports School
Football team of Katerynopil Children's and Youth Sports School
The folk ensemble
The folk ensemble "Potochanochka" from the village of Potoky
  The participants of the Nordic Walking Festival in Katerynopil
The participants of the Nordic Walking Festival in Katerynopil

The Community has the fire department located in the village of Lysycha Balka. It provides fire protection on the territory of both the Katerynopil and the neighbouring Mokra Kalyhirka Territorial Communities.

Community and War

The Katerynopil Territorial Community was horrified when the war started. Nevertheless, its members united to help the Ukrainian soldiers and internally displaced persons. 

The volunteer movement has been developing in the Community since the very beginning of the war. People of all ages became volunteers. The local agricultural business, entrepreneurs, NGOs, and activists also joined this movement.

They organized a humanitarian aid distribution point at the Centre for Social Services of the Katerynopil Settlement Council. A powerful volunteer centre “From Heart to Heart” was established and is still operating at the Public Library of the Settlement Council. People did their best to help everyone who was in need. 

The staff of the Katerynopil Settlement Council started donating one day’s salary to a non-governmental organization that works closely with the local volunteer centre. Their donations have exceeded UAH 500,000. 

The volunteers were financially supported by agricultural manufacturers, sympathetic community members, also those from abroad.  

The money was used to buy everything necessary for the soldiers, to prepare the humanitarian cargo and to support the internally displaced persons (more than 1,500 people at the beginning of the war) in the Community.  

Also, volunteers support the families of the killed soldiers, the old people and families in difficult life circumstances. 

The Community is located in the centre of Ukraine and, luckily, was not damaged. Almost 500 community members are defending the country on the frontline. Unfortunately, 27 of them were killed and 9 are missing in the war. 

Pupils of Lysycha Balka gymnasium
Pupils of Lysycha Balka gymnasium

The Centre for Social Services of the Katerynopil Settlement Council cooperates with various religious organizations in order to help internally displaced persons living in the Community.

The distribution of humanitarian aid to the families in difficult life circumstances by the Social Services Centre of the Katerynopil Settlement Council and representatives of the Seventh-day Adventists Church
The distribution of humanitarian aid to the families in difficult life circumstances by the Social Services Centre of the Katerynopil Settlement Council and representatives of the Seventh-day Adventists Church

The Centre for Social Services of the Katerynopil Settlement Council also has a department of the modern centre for intellectual and creative development “Krok Nazustrich”. Its personnel made 79 load carrying vests for Ukrainian soldiers. 

Community People

Volodymyr Kovalenko (born in 1960) is the Settlement Head of Katerynopil

Volodymyr Kovalenko with the starostas of the Community's starosta-headed districts
Volodymyr Kovalenko with the starostas of the Community's starosta-headed districts

The Territorial Community has implemented the Modern Dance Hall project under Volodymyr Kovalenko’s leadership. The renovated dance hall for children and adults was opened in the Katerynopil House of Culture.

The renovated dance hall in the Katerynopil House of Culture
The renovated dance hall in the Katerynopil House of Culture

The community created the “Modern Centre for Intellectual and Creative Development “Krok Nazustrich” to create daytime activities for adults with disabilities and the retired persons. Here they learn sewing and computer skills. There are also other educational and entertainment activities.  

The department has a donated bank of clothes, shoes and other essential items. It also provides free services related to small clothing repairs.   

A large-scale sports festival was held in the Katerynopil Territorial Community. It was initiated by the local entrepreneur and supported by the Charitable Foundation and the Ukrainian Nordic Walking Federation. During the festival, a new national record for the largest number of participants was registered.

Participants of the sports festival in Katerynopil, which set a new Ukrainian record for the largest number of participants moving simultaneously
Participants of the sports festival in Katerynopil, which set a new Ukrainian record for the largest number of participants moving simultaneously

 Development Strategy

The Katerynopil Settlement Council has developed and approved the Katerynopil Territorial Community Development Strategy for 2021-2027. Its purposes are: to improve the welfare of the community’s population; to increase the comfort, quality of life and education of its residents; to develop the economy and its competitiveness; to create the community’s positive image and to use its resources and opportunities more efficiently.

The Strategy consists of 4 key operational areas, intended to implement 20 projects. The most relevant of them are as follows:

  1. Support for projects on rural green tourism in the Katerynopil Territorial Community
  2. Facilitating and supporting the agricultural cooperation development in the Katerynopil Territorial Community
  3. Stimulating the entrepreneurial activity by establishing an effective system of advisory and legal assistance for business entities
  4. Reconstruction of the Administrative Services Centre of the Katerynopil Settlement Council
  5. Support for local commodity producers’ projects in modernization, production renovation, infrastructure renewal and implementation of the newest production technologies 
  6. Development of product manufacturing and processing
  7. Overhaul of the premises of the Katerynopil Child Development Centre “Sonechko”  (Katerynopil, 10a Naberezhny Lane)
  8. Implementation of energy saving activities in the social infrastructure facilities
  9. Creating conditions for the promotion and development of renewable energy in the Community
  10. Placement of solar energy capacities in the Katerynopil Community
Photo zone on the Katerynopil Settlement Day
Photo zone on the Katerynopil Settlement Day

List of Sources

Official website of the Katerynopil Territorial Community

Official Facebook page of the Katerynopil Territorial Community

Passport of the Katerynopil Territorial Community as of 01.01.2023

Katerynopil Territorial Community Development Strategy for 2021-2027

Photos from the archive of the Katerynopil Settlement Council

If you want to contact an Ukrainian community or have additional questions regarding the project please contact us: [email protected]