A story on how the Tyachivska hromada plans to develop tourism, given the healing properties of local water.

Author: Dmytro Synyak

There is a 7 km distance from Tyachiv to the village of Lazy and the same distance to the mountain village of Okruhla of the Lazy village council, located 305 metres above sea level. From about 2010, both villages were cut off from the world due to the lack of road. The road was used less and less until it faded away completely: people were complaining that Tyachiv can be reached on foot for the same time needed to go by a route bus. And then the route buses were canceled at all.

"When we stepped in the amalgamation, we asked for the road to be built for us as a main issue," says Vasyl Klyuchkey, starosta of Lazy. “As the road here was in a state that it was impossible to travel. And now 80% of work has been already done. Last year, 5 bridges were repaired! What should I say! It took me 40 minutes to drive from the village council to Tyachiv, and now it takes seven!

Ivan Kovach, head of the Tyachivska AH, told me about Chorna Voda, when I asked him on hromada’s plans to promote the creation of workplaces.

“This question is not easy,” Ivan Kovach started diplomatically. “What can the hromada do for entrepreneurs? There are only two things: regulation of local taxes and creation of infrastructure. But these steps may be enough. For instance, as we built the road to Lazy, the buses appeared immediately. We did not persuade anyone or explained anything – the entrepreneurs understood everything themselves. So when we make the road to Chorna Voda, tourists will definitely go there. As that place is treasured, though almost unknown in Ukraine ...

In a place between the villages of Lazy and Okruhla there are springs with three types of healing water flowing, including the one very helpful for the musculo-skeletal system. Last year, the head of the hromada brought Czech partners to Chorna Voda (name of the place), who said they were ready to direct their tourists here.

The full version is available in Ukrainian – please click HERE