Uman Territorial Community

Iryna Pletniova (51 years old) is the head of the Uman Urban Territorial Community.In May 2022, Iryna Pleteniova received the award of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine “For assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine”.

“For me, this award is more about teamwork, the ability to unite and accumulate efforts into one fist along with the entire community, servicemen, volunteers and businesses.

This is our common award!

We continue to work for our Victory!” – writes Iryna on her Facebook page.

The head of the community meets with Ukrainian and foreign journalists almost every day. She talks about the situation in the community, about the heroic people who are fighting against the invader on all fronts, and calls on the world community to respond to all the challenges that Ukrainians face.

Due to the hostilities, the town has suffered economic, physical, moral, psychological and material losses. Uman is currently a transit settlement for refugees. Many people who go to the western part of the country or further abroad stop there. Mostly they stay overnight and the next day they go further. Since the beginning of the russian federation’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, more than 128,000 refugees have passed through the town.The Uman Urban Territorial Community has a heavy burden of providing basic necessities to the citizens and internally displaced persons (more than 12,000 registered persons) under martial law. A coordination headquarters distributing humanitarian aid was created on the initiative of the executive committee of the Uman Town Council. Every day, entrepreneurs, business representatives, community residents brought everything that could be useful for and demanded by, first of all, the military and territorial defence units, and later also internally displaced persons.

Eighteen Invincibility Centres have been set up in the territory of the community. There one can warm up, charge their mobile devices, drink hot tea, use the Internet, take shelter from the weather and get medical help.Some Invincibility Centres also have STARLINK satellite systems, providing access to the high-speed Internet during blackout periods.The town of Uman has nineteen sister towns, and most of them, to one degree or another, have been helping it since the beginning of the full-scale russian invasion of Ukraine, providing humanitarian aid such as medicines, sanitary and hygienic products, foods, clothes, shoes, etc.

In order to provide aid to displaced persons, social projects are implemented in cooperation with international and domestic organizations: SOLIDARITES INTERNATIONAL, the United Nations Charity Fund (UNICEF) in Ukraine as part of the initiative “A Community Friendly to Children and Youth” and others.As part of a Memorandum concluded with the Avdiivka Town Military Administration and a social agreement with the Vostok-SOS Charitable Foundation, more than 140 lonely retired people with limited mobility were evacuated to the Uman Urban Territorial Community, who live in the House of Veterans.

The town of Uman is the centre of the eponymous district of the Cherkasy Region. People settled there a long time ago as evidenced by the indications of the Trypillia culture settlements found by archaeologists. The first written mention of the “town of Human” dates back to 1616.

The Uman residents took an active part in the events of the National Liberation War led by Bohdan Khmelnytskyi. In 1652, the Potocki family became the owners of Uman. After the Koliivshchyna rebellion (1768), trade fairs were held in the town, the construction of a church began, and in 1796, the Sophiivka garden and landscape park (one of the largest in Europe) was designed.

Later, Uman became part of russia as a district town, first of the Voznesensk Province, and then of the Kyiv Province. The town became the centre of Hasidism in the early 19th century. Uman was not spared by the devastating and terrible events of the world wars. In the post-war years, life in the town gradually returned back to normal. Today, Uman is one of the most historical settlements in Ukraine.

The town is famous for its famous Sophiivka National Arboretum of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, which is one of the best parks in Europe, and for its newly created park zones, which together cover more than 200 hectares of the actual tourist and recreational territory.A very interesting architectural landmark of Uman is a former water mill on the Umanka River. It was built in 1892. Now there is a luxurious restaurant and hotel complex on that site.The light and music fountain of Uman is a business card of the town. It is one of the top three most atmospheric and unique fountains in Ukraine.The former Roman Catholic Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is a national architectural landmark. At present, this ancient building hosts works of fine and plastic arts. The Uman Art Gallery contains more than 10,000 items. The paintings in the museum collection include the works of Western European artists of the 19th and early 20th centuries, which are of great value.The buildings of the Uman Agrarian University are located practically in the territory of the Arboretum. The main building of this university impresses visitors with its magnificence and architectural perfection.In Uman, there are many famous architectural landmarks of different cultures and peoples and facilities of religious importance. About 20% of all the architectural landmarks of the Cherkasy Region are concentrated there. In addition, Uman has long been the centre of pilgrimage for Bratslav Hasids with an average of about 35,000 people coming to the town every year.

The community development is aimed at increasing competitiveness, attracting investments, supporting small business initiatives, ensuring the quality and general availability of public and social services.

The priority objectives for expanding and improving the provision of social services to the population, including internally displaced persons:

– creation of the Centre for social rehabilitation and adaptation of children victims of russian aggression;

– construction of the Cosy House boarding house for veterans;

– overhaul of buildings for a social hotel with 650 beds for internally displaced persons.

• Website of the Uman Urban Territorial Community
• Facebook page of the Uman Town Council
• Historical overview
• Suspilne News
• umannews.city
• ukrainaincognita.com