Velyki Budyshcha Territorial Community

Poltava
Population:

The Velyki Budyshcha territorial community is located on the territory of the Myrhorod District of the Poltava Region.
Total area: 384.2 km2.
Population of the community: 7,309 people.
Women: 3,790
Men: 3,519

The community includes 20 settlements and has its administrative centre in the village of Velyki Budyshcha.

History

The Velyki Budyshcha Territorial Community was formed in December 2019 by the decision of the Poltava Regional State Administration’s session.
Thus, the Velyki Budyshcha community appeared on the map, which included Plishyvets, Bobryk, Knyshivka, and Martynivka village councils.
At the end of 2020, Vepryk and Velbivka village councils joined the Velyki Budyshcha territorial community.

Thus, Plishyvets, Bobryk, Martynivka, Vepryk, Velbivka, and Knyshivka starosta-headed districts were formed with the centre in the village of Velyki Budyshcha.

There are architectural monuments in the Velyki Budyshcha territorial community, one of the most famous being the Holy Intercession Church in the village of Plishivets – a unique temple that has survived to this day.

Holy Intercession Church
Holy Intercession Church

The Knyshivka hillfort located in the village of Knyshivka is an archaeological monument of national importance belonging to the Scythian era.

Layout of the Knishivka hillfort
Layout of the Knishivka hillfort Source

The Masyukovs’ Manor built back in 1805 is another architectural monument located on the territory of the community in the village of Bobryk.

The Masyukov’s manor
The Masyukov’s manor Source

Economy and Public Welfare

There are oil and gas mineral deposits on the territory of the Velyki Budyshcha territorial community which are processed by a group of enterprises of the oil and gas complex.

Gas production
Gas production Source

 The oil and gas complex plays a very important role for the community as local budget receipts from rent payments constitute a significant part of the overall income. In addition, oil and gas industry enterprises transfer funds annually for the development of the social sphere.

Also, several agricultural enterprises engaged in breeding and keeping livestock operate in the community.

Community and War

The Velyki Budyshcha territorial community is the only one in the Poltava region that was occupied during the war.

On February 26, 2022, Russian machinery started arriving in the Velyki Budyshcha community: tanks, armoured combat vehicles, automotive equipment, artillery systems. From the beginning of the Russian invasion, up to 350 pieces of equipment stood on the outskirts of the community.

The community united from the first day of the war and courageously resisted the invaders. Preventing panic and preserving people’s health – these were the goals set by Mykola Shabliy, headman of the Velyki Budyshcha community and major general of the border troops.

There was no panic in the community. The starostas of the villages were at the scene and ready to defend their land even with weapons in their hands. People’s resistance resulted in tanks and gas station blown up.

Two local tractor drivers Oleksiy Vovk and Volodymyr Ivashchenko burned three tanks with Molotov cocktails and later received awards for their courage.

Awarding
Awarding

Courageous residents of the community helped the armed forces of Ukraine. They passed on information about the movement of Russian military equipment and thus helped neutralize it.

Destroyed Russian machinery
Destroyed Russian machinery Source

Residents managed to take away over 15 units of enemy equipment from the Russian military and hand them over to the Ukrainian armed forces.

The Russians planned a rapid offensive through the communities; however, they got lost because the residents removed all road signs and signs with names of settlements in the first days of invasion.

Thanks to these actions, the enemy was not able to fully move their equipment through the territory of the community and did not advance into the Poltava region.

Destroyed Russian machinery
Destroyed Russian machinery

The events that took place on the territory of our community were given the symbolic name – Hadyatske Safari. Subsequently, the courage of the community’s residents was recognized through the creation of the first military stamp of the Poltava region, which was ceremoniously cancelled in the village of Vepryk.

Stamp cancellation
Stamp cancellation
Mykola Shabliy
Mykola Shabliy

People of the Community

Mykola Ivanovych Shabliy (aged 56), Headman of the Velyki Budyshcha Territorial Community.

Mykola Shabliy has over 30 years of military experience behind him. Local self-government has become a new, interesting challenge for him.

A participant in the hostilities of 2014, he was awarded with the medal “For Military Service to Ukraine” by the State. From 2015 to 2018, he held the office of Deputy General Director of the Vorskla Football Club.

In 2020, he was elected Village Headman of the Velyki Budyshcha Village Council and has held this post since then.

Since the beginning of the war, Mykola Shabliy has shown courage and stood up for his community. He coordinated the work, rescued people and infrastructure. He was granted the Honourable Badge of the tactical operations group Sumy.

Awarding of Mykola Shabliy
Awarding of Mykola Shabliy Source

During the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops, many residents of the Velyki Budyshcha territorial community made a lot of efforts for the future victory over the enemy.

This includes fundraising for the purchase of necessary equipment and machinery for military personnel, charity events, assistance to internally displaced persons (collection of food and everything necessary for life) etc.

Awarding of volunteers in the Velyki Budyshcha community
Awarding of volunteers in the Velyki Budyshcha community Source

Development Strategy

Among the priority areas of activity and tasks, work is planned in the following areas:

  • Construction/reconstruction of water supply networks.
  • Construction of an artesian well in the village of Bobryk.
  • Reconstruction of the artesian well and water tower in the village of Timofiivka.
  • Overhaul of the administrative building in the village of Velyki Budyshcha. Construction/reconstruction of street lighting on the streets of populated areas where it is absent or needs improvement.
  • Overhaul/current repair of roads in the community.
  • Installation of video surveillance cameras in settlements of the community.
  • Overhaul of the premises housing the Administrative Services Centre in the village of Vepryk
  • Reconstruction of the roof of the school in the village of Vepryk
  • Construction of a public safety centre in the village of Vepryk

The community works to remove obstacles to the development of enterprises: poor quality of road surfaces and shortcomings in the field of technical infrastructure. Entrepreneurs complain about the lack of financial, informational and consulting support, high loan interest rates and the lack of advice that would allow them to expand their activities to new markets, including foreign ones.

One of the most important tasks is the formation of favourable conditions for the creation of jobs and the development of social infrastructure.

 List of Sources

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