24 August 2026 on Ukraine’s Independence Day, representatives of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) paid a working visit to Trostyanets city. The purpose of the meeting was to see the facilities built in our hromada under the project “Strengthening of urban resilience in the Areas of Supply Infrastructure and Housing in the Ukraine” (SUR), as well as to discuss further areas of cooperation.
The delegation was headed by Ralf Grotenhoff, head of the Construction component of the project. It also included Tetiana Severyn, GIZ construction advisor, who directly supports the implementation of projects in Trostyanets city hromada.
The partners were welcomed by Trostyanets mayor Yuriy Bova, executive committee administrator Alla Kostenko, deputy mayor Maksym Syniavin, head of the capital construction department Viktor Nykonenko, and head of the education department Anna Zubova.
The partnership between Trostyanets municipality and GIZ has continued for several years, and now is of exceptional importance for us, which keeps recovering and developing amid the war.
During the meeting, Yuriy Bova and Ralf Grotenhoff discussed the continuation of projects in hromada. The parties identified possible areas for further cooperation.
One of the important results of this cooperation has been the installation of two temporary protective shelters in the villages of Liudzha and Stanova. Each basic shelter is designed for 50 people and is now ready to receive children and village residents during air raids.
“The new protective shelters will make it possible to ensure an uninterrupted educational process in two more rural schools. Online learning will never replace children’s face-to-face interaction with their teacher and classmates. The children of Liudzha have long dreamed of returning to their classrooms! The shelter that has been built will become a safe space not only for schoolchildren but for the entire village community. After all, the school is the heart of the village. I sincerely thank the Government of Germany and GIZ for their important work of preserving the lives and health of children and for the opportunity for them to study in their own school. This is another step toward our community living and developing despite all the challenges of war,” – Trostyanets mayor Yuriy Bova said in his address to those present.
It was the newly built shelter in Liudzha that the GIZ representatives inspected together with Mayor Yuriy Bova, Head of the Capital Construction Department Viktor Nykonenko, Head of the Education Department Anna Zubova, and Larysa Lampak, Principal of Lyceum No. 3. The guests were warmly welcomed by local residents and schoolchildren, who organized an informal opening ceremony for the new facility.
Ralf Grotenhoff, Head of the Construction Component of the GIZ project, noted that in implementing such projects the most important result is not the installed structure itself, but the opportunity for children to study in their own school again and to feel protected.
“It is very important for us to see the results of our joint work directly in the community. Every temporary protective shelter is an opportunity for children to return to school safely, to communicate with their teachers and friends, and to continue a normal life even in such difficult conditions. We are pleased that, thanks to the joint efforts of GIZ and the Trostyanets community, this space is now ready to receive children. We hope it will be used for its direct purpose as rarely as possible, but in the event of danger children and residents of the village will have a place where they can be safe,” – Ralf Grotenhoff said. He also noted the active stance of the Trostyanets City Council and the interest of the community’s leadership in creating safe conditions for children and residents of the community.
Tetiana Klymenko, Principal of the Liudzha Branch of Lyceum No. 3, emphasized that the opportunity for children to return to school is of great importance. According to her, face-to-face interaction with teachers and classmates cannot be fully replaced by distance learning. A blended learning format will help not only to improve the quality of education but also to develop children’s communication skills.
The symbolic ribbon at the entrance to the new temporary protective shelter was cut by the children of Liudzha themselves, together with Mayor Yuriy Bova and GIZ representative Ralf Grotenhoff. They were the first to enter the premises and inspected the new desks, benches and other furnished areas. Smiles lit up the children’s faces as they examined the new structure with great interest! The children gave the guests handmade souvenirs featuring the symbols of their native village, as well as touching children’s drawings, as mementos.
The GIZ representatives also inspected a completed temporary protective shelter for 50 people in the village of Stanova, which in the near future will receive children who will study at the local school.
Another facility visited was the “Neskuchne” Center for Internally Displaced Persons, where construction of a temporary protective shelter designed for 100 people is underway. Its creation is of particular importance for the center’s residents, as families with young children who were forced to leave their homes because of constant shelling already live there.
The absence of a properly equipped basic shelter affects the displaced people’s sense of security, as the Trostyanets community also frequently suffers from shelling and enemy air strikes. Once its installation is completed, the new temporary protective shelter will make it possible to protect both internally displaced persons and residents of the community living in this neighborhood during air raids.
During the visit of the facilities, the GIZ representatives noted the results of project implementation in the community. Each of these facilities is not simply a building or a piece of equipment, but a concrete contribution to the safety, resilience and ability of Trostyanets municipality to continue a normal life amid the war.
We sincerely thank the Government of Germany, GIZ and all partners of the project “Strengthening of urban resilience in the Areas of Supply Infrastructure and Housing in the Ukraine” (SUR) for their consistent support, trust and practical assistance. Together we are creating safe conditions for learning, working and living and step by step making Trostyanets city stronger and more resilient!
The activities were implemented within the framework of the project ” Strengthening of urban resilience in the Areas of Supply Infrastructure and Housing in the Ukraine ” of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). This project is part of Transitional Development Assistance, which strengthens the resilience of society and local structures. The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
