Soldatske Cultural Center. A Modern Social and Recreational Center

    Team: Shawn Ridenhour and Rachel Splitgerber

    The project focuses on addressing the challenges in the cultural and recreational landscape of a community in Ukraine, specifically in a village affected by the war. The main issues include limited access to quality cultural services and the aging infrastructure of rural cultural institutions.

    The proposed solution involves transforming the aging rural clubs into multifunctional “hubs” that serve as cultural, educational, and entertainment centers. Journeyman and one of our supporting architecture firms Arris Studio Architects, aim to transform the center into a modern facility, improving the socio-cultural sphere in the community, reducing derelict objects affected by military actions, meeting citizens’ cultural and leisure needs, and implementing European experience, particularly drawing from the example of Poland, in organizing cultural leisure in rural areas.

    Project Details
    • Humanitarian Partner: Local city council in Ukraine
    • Sponsor(s): Available
    • Location: Eastern Ukraine
    • Designer(s): Arris Studio Architects
    • Status: Design Complete

    The existing cultural and leisure center in the village of Soldatske was built during the Soviet era and has not undergone any modernization for at least the last 50 years.

    Current view of Soldatske Cultural Center in Trostyanets city hromada (Sumy oblast), 2026

    The cultural and leisure center in Soldatske is essentially a two-story building with a total area of 1400 square meters. Currently, this building is in a state of disrepair.

    This cultural institution serves all residents of the Soldatske village council, which consists of four villages with a combined population of over 1037 people. Accordingly, there is an urgent need to make decisions regarding the modernization of this institution and its full operation.

    One possible solution to transform these aging rural clubs is to create multifunctional “hubs” that combine the functions of a cultural, educational, and entertainment center, bringing together a community space for social interaction and a venue for cultural and recreational events.

    The main goal of the proposed project is the cultural development of the Trostyanets community and the improvement of rural leisure through the restoration and modernization of the cultural and leisure center in the village of Soldatske, using the experience gained from Polish partner cities.

    Project tasks:

    • Transforming the Soldatske rural cultural institution into a modern cultural and leisure center
    • Improving the socio-cultural sphere of life in the rural area of the Trostyanets community as an example of reforming cultural life in the village of Soldatske
    • Reducing the number of derelict objects in the community affected by military actions
    • Meeting citizens’ needs in the sphere of culture and leisure
    • Implementing european experience in organizing cultural leisure in rural areas, with a focus on the example of Poland

    The project activities also include:

    1. Updating the material and technical base of the rural cultural institution to increase the level of adaptation of the cultural institution’s capabilities to the real needs of the village and the community as a whole, ensuring the rights of children and youth, adults to communicate, unite, activate citizens, creative development and meaningful leisure.
    2. Reconstruction of the existing infrastructure of the rural club and installation of the necessary energy-saving equipment.
    3. Improving the recreation infrastructure through the use of modern energy-saving technologies.
    4. Creating conditions for organizing the work of the cultural and leisure center and increasing the content of cultural leisure in the direction of developing green and eco-tourism.

    Target group of the project:

    1. Children and youth under 35 years old.
    2. Men and women – 35-55 years old.
    3. Elderly people.
    4. People with disabilities.
    5. Internally displaced persons.
    6. Media.

    Sustainability of the project
    The implementation of this project is of social importance for the entire Trostyanets community and its adjacent territories, due to the creation of a modern sports and cultural center in the countryside, which will serve as an example for other communities.
    It is also worth noting that this project is a pilot for other cultural institutions of the Trostyanets community, as it is expected that similar measures for their complete modernization will be carried out in other settlements of the community in the near future.
    After the completion of the project, the operation of the facility will not require additional funding, and its maintenance will be carried out from the city budget. The risks associated with the implementation of the project are minimal.

    Soldatske Cultural Center (2024)Download

    64325 Tyler Rd Bend, OR 97703

    805.952.5469

    [email protected]

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    Maksym Syniavin

    Deputy Mayor for Regional Development, Project Activities, International Cooperation, Urban Planning, Architecture, and State Architectural and Construction Control. He graduated from the National Technical University “Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute” with a degree in Economics and Entrepreneurship and received the qualification of economist.
    He started his professional career at the Trostyanets City Council in 2007. He worked in the areas of consumer rights protection, entrepreneurship and trade development.
    In 2015–2017, he headed the Department of Urban Planning, Architecture, Construction, communal services, and Improvement of the city council.
    In his professional activity, he combines a strategic vision for territorial development, a practical approach to project implementation, experience in international cooperation, and a deep understanding of the community’s needs.

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