The day of the village is one of the most popular celebrations for the residents of small villages and towns. Each place has its own traditions, ceremonies and customs. On this day people honour the most diligent fellow villagers and oldest families. But what should the villages with declining population do? They do not have much money for gifts and people gather in the centre less often.

The Horodyshche village answered this question in a creative way! Three years ago, they organised the local borshch fair for local dwellers, which in a short time turned into a gastronomic and song festival.

On 6 July, local residents and guests from the Koropska AH and neighbouring cities and villages gathered at the Horodyshche Festival. Hospitable hosts treated everyone with local dishes, cooked 100 lt of borsch and baked fragrant buns. The festival gathered teams of cooks, that presented their own borshch recipes. The jury evaluated both the presentation and the dish itself.

Creative and folk groups, as well as local residents and guests of the holiday say in one voice that the festival was a real success.

Lyudmyla Samoilovska, head of Cultural Department of the Korop Settlement Council, says that such festivals not only unite people. They enshrine belief in future, teach children to value traditions and convince that people are stronger together.

“It is important for each hromada to find its tourist “highlight”, find the uniqueness that will make the territory popular, known among locals and hromada guests. Fairs, festivals are bright events that unite hromada residents, create an festive atmosphere and bring economic results. After all, holidaymakers always want to taste local dish, see local attractions, buy local goods. And all this creates additional value and jobs in the hromada,” said Oksana Stelmakh, communications adviser of the Chernihiv Local Government Development Centre of the U-LEAD with Europe Programme.

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