It’s not just about rebuilding everything as it was before, but better, more efficiently, – Yuriy Bova

The full-scale ru invasion in 2022 was a point of no returning for many Ukrainian municipalities. For Trostianets municipality, the invasion turned into a month of occupation, destroyed homes, devastated infrastructure, and multimillion-dollar damage. But at the same time, these trials made our community stronger, more united, and more ambitious.

Today, 3.5 years after those terrible events, the Trostyinets demonstrates a unique example of how, even after large-scale destruction, it is possible not only to recover, but also to develop and open up new prospects.

In spring 2022 in a result of military operations, about 1,000 objects were damaged and destroyed: 59 municipal property objects, hundreds of private homes were destroyed, 3 high-rise buildings and 12 private houses were completely destroyed.

The municipal enterprises were actually paralyzed. Town institutions were not able to work, there was a lack of equipment, businesses lost production capacity, hundreds of families were left without housing.

But the war did not break the people of our town. On the contrary, this situation made them to unite and look for new opportunities for recovery.

The team of Trostianets city council learned quickly to respond to the challenges of wartime, prepare high-quality grant applications, and prove the innovativeness of their ideas. In just 3.5 years, more than 30 large-scale projects have been implemented in cooperation with international donors and Ukrainian partners, the most valuable of which are:

• NEFCO — the procedure for the reconstruction of sewage treatment plants in the city has been initiated for the amount of UAH 177 million
• GIZ (Germany) — construction of a Modular extension solution for hospital, purchase of medical equipment for UAH 50 million
• USAID Project “Hoverla” (USA) — 13 units of municipal transport for the amount of UAH 37.3 million
• Charitable Foundation “Blagomai” and PrJSC “Mondelez Ukraine” — equipment for the hospital and shelters in schools for UAH 30 million
• Poltava Mining and Processing Plant — municipal transport, office equipment for the amount of UAH 16.2 million
• Polskie Centrum Pomocy Międzynarodowej (PCPM) and the Taiwan representative office in Poland — municipal equipment for institutions, utility companies and community institutions — UAH 4.6 million
• Greenpeace — solar power plant and heat pumps for a multi-storey building on the street. Blagovishchenska, 53 – 10.6 million UAH
• GIZ (Germany) – thermal modernization of the infectious disease department of Trostianets town hospital – 8.5 million UAH
• OpenDoorUkraine, “Danish Refugee Council”, LLC “Kernel” – repairing of a school in Soldatske – 7.3 million UAH
• International Rescue Committee (IRS) – modular FAPs, vehicles and medical equipment for the Central Emergency Medical Service – 7.2 million UAH
• Danish Refugee Council – repairing of roofs of 6 residential buildings – 7 million UAH
• People in Need (Czech Republic) – repairing of the roof of Lyceum No. 3 worth 5.3 million UAH
• GIZ (Germany) – solar station on the building of the “Trostianets Town Hospital”, 63 kW, – worth 4.4 million UAH, panels for solar stations 97 kW, 132 thousand UAH
• JAFS (Japan) – repairing of the surgical block – 4.3 million UAH
• Eastern Europe Foundation – creation of the Unbreakable Hub – UAH 4.3 million
• Polish Center for International Assistance (PCPM) and the Taiwanese representative office in Poland – video surveillance within the framework of the Safe Community project – UAH 4 million
• Siemens Caring Hands (Germany) – C-arch device worth UAH 3.8 million
• AICM (France-Ukraine) – medical assistance for UAH 3.5 million
• Medair – community medicine support programs for UAH 3.4 million
• Voices of Children Foundation – Korobka Youth Center – UAH 2.9 million
• Swiss Confederation – 45 kW solar station at the children’s department of the KNP “Trostianets Town Hospital” – 2.7 million UAH
• IOM (International Organization for Migration) – investments in the amount of 2.4 million UAH
• Engagement Global (Germany) in cooperation with the partner city of Montabaur – 30 kW solar power station worth 2 million UAH
• GIZ (Germany) with the support of the partner city of Montabaur – 2 solar stations of 40 kW for kindergartens “Kazka” and “Romashka”, worth 2.2 million UAH
• U-LEAD with Europe – municipal transport and tools – 2 million UAH
• NUMO project and “SOS Children’s Towns” Ukraine – youth space in the Sugar Mill neighborhood – 1.8 million UAH
• The United Nations Development Program within the framework of the Mayors for Economic Growth program – creation of a Business Support Center – UAH 1.6 million
• OpenDoorUkraine and CF Vastenactie – restoration of a first-aid post in the village of Stanova – UAH 1.5 million
• DOCCU NGO within the framework of the Education Cannot Wait program in cooperation with the international non-governmental organization Finn Church Aid Ukraine – repairing of a shelter in Lyceum No. 1 for UAH 1.4 million
• Kremer Kautschuk Kunststoff, BIOHAUS-Stiftung, Greenpeace Deutschland – panels for solar stations, 118 kW – UAH 0.6 million

The important contribution was also made by a long-time friend and partner of our town – the German Sibilla Strike-Zimmermann – the great-great-granddaughter of Leopold Koenig, and her husband Hans. This family provided support in the restoration and repairing of departments of the Trostianets Town Hospital, in the renovation of libraries, and a minibus for transporting children was also purchased. The total amount of provided assistance is 10.4 million hryvnias.

The state also plays an important role in the restoration of our community. This is the result of the hard work of Trostianets town mayor Yuriy Bova and the entire town council team, the availability of quality projects, and the active participation of the community, thanks to which the state leadership can hear us, see us, and respond to our problems.

In particular, the following state programs were implemented in Trostianets:

• 200 million UAH – reconstruction of the H-12 highway, which passes through the Trostianets community
• 107.3 million UAH – construction and arrangement of centers for IDPs (Neskuchne – 91.4 million UAH, Zavodska 1 – 4.6 million UAH, Keniga 7 – 2.7 million UAH, Soldatske villages – 6.9 million UAH, Martynivka – 2.7 million UAH, Dernove – 3.6 million UAH)
• 86 million UAH were received by 395 families within the framework of the e-Reconstruction program, including 54 million UAH – for 45 destroyed objects, 32 million UAH – for 350 families whose housing was damaged
• 72.7 million UAH — restoration of “Trostianets Town Hospital” (repairing of the polyclinic, thermal modernization of the inpatient, polyclinic, and children’s buildings)
• 60.5 million UAH — repairs of war-damaged high-rise buildings on Blagovishchenska Street, 53 and Neskuchanka Street, 9
• 15 million UAH transferred from the Sumy Regional Military Administration for building materials for owners of damaged housing

Thus, Trostianets has attracted 391.3 million hryvnias from international and Ukrainian partners, and 541.5 million hryvnias from the state – for the reconstruction of damaged facilities and compensation to residents for destroyed housing, totally approximately 933 million hryvnias.

Trostianets hromada is becoming an example of high-quality reconstruction and resilience. Financial support from the state and international partners has given us the chance to restore the housing stock, equip premises for the accommodation of displaced persons, create modern medical institutions, launch the educational process, revive and develop the municipal sphere.

Today we have already demonstrated that restoration is not only about rebuilding buildings. It is the path to a qualitatively new level of life for community! We have become an example for the country and a convincing signal for foreign donors: aid brings tangible changes.