Velyki Budyshcha Territorial Community

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.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.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.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.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.

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.The Knyshivka hillfort located in the village of Knyshivka is an archaeological monument of national importance belonging to the Scythian era.The Masyukovs’ Manor built back in 1805 is another architectural monument located on the territory of the community in the village of Bobryk.

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.