This year, the Karashynska AH in the Korsun Rayon will host hundreds of guests: hromada plans to hold three festivals, and is traditionally waiting for a delegation from China. Cherkasy journalists learned about the AH popularity secrets during a press conference organised by the Cherkasy Local Government Development Centre, established with the support of the U-LEAD with Europe Programme and MinRegion.

Last year they held “Pumpkin Fest” village festival, and created a unique local tradition. This year, there will be the summer “Kvitka Festival” (named after the flowering village that is part of the hromada) and “China Fest” (this international holiday is planned to be held in autumn) organised.

The hromada has a firm friendship with China: last year, the AH was visited by Du Wei, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to Ukraine. He came to honour the memory of the pilot Hryhorii Kulishenko, hero of China, native of the Cherepyn village, who participated in the anti-Japanese national liberation war and who is called a flying tiger in China for his courage and heroic deeds. The local NGO “Oberig Hromady” received USD 5.000 from the Chinese government to develop the museum of Hruhorii Kulishenko, established in the school bearing the name of the hero. Another 15 thousand dollars are expected to be received for the creation of the monument to Hryhorii Kulishenko in his homeland.

Several successful cooperatives and farms are operating in the AH today, including the family farm “Kizonka” in the village of Hlushky.

“Decentralisation has given us the opportunity to develop our hromada – and people are actively involved in this,” says Anatoliy Parkhomenko, head of the Karashynska AH. “Moreover, people today can appreciate all the benefits of the reform. Earlier the temperature in the local school in winter was at the level of 8-14 degrees, today – it is above 20. Our hromada has set an ambitious course for the introduction of energy efficiency and thermo-modernisation of schools, kindergartens and rural health posts – and has already partially implemented it. And today people say that this is the first year they can remember when our school was really warm. By the way, we now provide free meals for younger pupils. We actively develop the talents of our children – and they win at rayon and oblast Olympiads. We bring them up as real patriots – and our Kvitky village military and patriotic club “Eagles” is now one of the best in the rayon.

People see that decentralisation brings new children’s and sports grounds, Wi-Fi in public places, insulated rural health posts, new solid fuel boilers, school and kindergartens modernisation, street lighting, gravel and asphalted roads – and these are only one-year achievements.

Background: The Karashynska rural AH comprises 10 villages, with a population of more than 4000 residents (on the territory of 151,2 km2).

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