How the Makariv community is being restored

In this article on the “Restoration project”, we discuss how the Makariv community is being rebuilt. In particular, the new Makariv Primary Health Care Centre, which was funded by the Kyiv School of Economics, the permanent housing for elderly IDPs, Chudo Mistechko [Eng. Miracle Town], sponsored by the Dell Loy Hansen Foundation, and the initiative of local rescue worker Hennadii Pohorielov, the Rebuild Makariv charity foundation.

Makariv is a village located about 50 km from Kyiv, which lay in the path of the Russian army in its offensive on the capital. It suffered greatly during the fighting and occupation that lasted from late February to April 2022. The Russian enemy not only shelled the village, but also killed and tortured civilians.

Almost 30% of all the buildings in the village were either destroyed or damaged. Most of them were residential buildings. The Russians also destroyed pre-schools, schools, colleges, a library, a private hospital, two museums, a church, a radio tower, many grocery stores, cafes, etc. The industrial infrastructure was also severely hit, with various administrative buildings, electricity, gas, heat and water supply facilities damaged.

As of spring 2024, many of these facilities have been restored, partly thanks to Ukrainian and international partners.

Makariv Outpatient Clinic: Rebuilding the “Heart of Primary Health Care”

The Makariv Primary Healthcare Centre is a modern, inclusive healthcare facility that was completely destroyed by a Russian missile, which many partners managed to help rebuild and improve in less than a year. Its director, Serhii Solomenko, says that the previous outpatient clinic was built from February 2019 to November 2020 as part of the Affordable Healthcare project in rural areas. This was one of the first examples of the project in the region.

“It was state-of-the-art, built using Canadian technology and environmentally friendly materials. Twelve doctors worked here, three of them were paediatricians.”

The community had nine outpatient clinics, but this was the key one, as it provided the broadest range of services and had the most declarations signed by its doctors. Additionally, it was located next to a multidisciplinary hospital, which made providing care faster. However, the outpatient clinic managed to operate for only 16 months. On 28 March 2022, the Russians hit it with a missile, causing a fire that destroyed the building with all its equipment.

“It was a tragedy for me as the head of the facility and for our doctors. But it was also a tragedy for the entire community.”

This happened when the doctors were evacuated, and Makariv was under occupation. Serhii found out about the destruction of the outpatient clinic from the Armed Forces and passed the news on to his colleagues. He worried about how to continue working. In April, when the village was liberated, people began to return.

“When we arrived, we faced the question of how to move Makariv district’s primary healthcare system forward without an outpatient clinic.”

The doctors that returned began working in the administrative building next door. Later, the multidisciplinary hospital provided them with several rooms.

The community began to restore critical infrastructure, and then considered which facilities needed to be rebuilt first.

“And he (the head of the community — ed.) understood that people would not return, and would not be able to resume normal life if medical services were not provided to the affected population.”

They also discussed how to treat people who have survived the occupation and how to create conditions for doctors to return home and work.

The outpatient clinic was one of the institutions that decided to rebuild on the principle of build back better. In particular, this included ensuring that the restored infrastructure met EU standards.

In May 2022, the outpatient clinic, the Ministry of Health, the Kyiv School of Economics, and the Kyiv Military Administration signed a memorandum of cooperation. Then they took up the documentation: it was necessary to obtain a conclusion on the unsuitability of the premises, permission to dismantle its remains, etc.

Serhii recalls that he was initially a little sceptical about the possibility of rebuilding quickly, but the support of his partners convinced him that it could be done. The team of the KSE Foundation, a charitable foundation of the Kyiv School of Economics, undertook to find funds for reconstruction.

“They were the first to contribute funds to produce design and construction documents and took the initiative. They exemplified how it should be done and also involved their partners. We consider this an example of professionalism, fundraising management, and reconstruction. The Kyiv School of Economics performed a miracle that no one believed in.”

Serhii says that the community understood that the medical facility should be one of the first to be rebuilt. But such a large project seemed almost like a gamble, and some locals were concerned that the restoration would eventually stop.

“They (the community residents – ed.) worried that at some point the funds would run out and it would become an architectural monument. But everything was implemented, everything was moving forward.”

The construction began two months after the decision to restore the outpatient clinic. It lasted a relatively short time for such a scale, nine months. The design and concept were developed by the Ukrainian architectural bureau Bogdanova Bureau. The reconstruction was based on the project of an outpatient clinic destroyed by the Russian army, expanded by 50 m2, with improved ventilation, and an added inclusive component. The facility does not yet have a bomb shelter, so doctors and patients go down to the shelter of a neighbouring hospital during air-raids.

The cost of building the previous outpatient clinic was UAH 12.5 million, and the new one was UAH 29 million. The difference is due, in part, to the fact that the previous building was made of wood, whereas the new one is made of foam block. Another reason is the rise in the cost of building materials. During the full-scale war, logistics become more complex and additionally, many large enterprises have been destroyed.

In addition to the building of walls, equipment is needed to restore the healthcare facility. The equipment was purchased using both donor funds and the local budget.

“The outpatient clinic is an example of symbiosis and cooperation between different types of budgets, however 95% of the funds come from international partners.”

As part of the project, a winter garden will be planted in this area to symbolise revival.

“A pergola made of burnt wood should also be placed around the outpatient clinic as a symbol of what we have lost.”

The full-scale war has affected the health of Ukrainians. Serhii understands that now it is especially important for people to have quick access to quality medical services.

“When we lost the outpatient clinic, we lost the heart of primary healthcare. When it was rebuilt, we started working on preserving this heart and making it work better.”

Serhii was born in Makariv and believes that this village will always combine the rural and the urban. He sees Makariv as a town with many young people in the future. For this, he notes, the appropriate infrastructure is needed: high-quality medical and educational institutions, and businesses that provide jobs. The modern outpatient clinic is one of the steps towards its development. Additionally, the local authorities and the Kyiv School of Economics are developing a concept for community sustainability, particularly through attracting foreign investments.

“We have a concept for Makariv, and it sounds like this: ‘Makariv is a town for ideas, people and the future.’”

The new outpatient clinic began operating in the spring of 2023. Serhii attributes the successful implementation of the project to constructive dialogue between the institution’s management and local authorities, their active involvement, and openness to cooperation in all opportunities without neglecting them. He believes the reconstruction of the outpatient clinic was an example of proper use of funds, making partners more willing to cooperate with the community in the future. As a doctor, Serhii knows that this cooperation is already occurring in the healthcare sector in his community, with partners providing mobile clinics and hospitals with certain medicines.

“The Russian Federation wants to break us, destroy us, intimidate us. We have to move forward, we have to find opportunities. As the experience of cooperation with international partners shows, this is all real, but we need to work on this. A goal is reached by one who moves, and an incredible journey begins with a small step. […] There is a Ukrainian wisdom: water does not flow under a lying stone. And that’s why we need to move it.”

“Miracle Town”: Permanent Housing for Elderly IDPs

“Miracle Town” is a residential complex in the Makariv community for elderly people who have lost their homes either due to destruction or because their houses are located in temporarily occupied territories. The construction and utilities of the town are funded by the Hansen Mission in Ukraine, a charitable foundation of American businessman Dell Loy Hansen, which helps people who have lost their homes due to the war. The official opening of the project is scheduled for May 2024.

Construction in the settlement is still ongoing, but the houses are ready, and people are already living in them. They were built between June and October 2023. The 20 buildings have a little over a hundred separate apartments (four or eight in each). All of them have their own kitchens, bathrooms, and terraces. People live there for free and have various leisure options.

Oleksandra Kondrasheva is the head of “Miracle Town”. Before it appeared, she, an employee of the foundation, visited many shelters for IDPs and noticed that older people faced the most challenges there as there was usually no one to take care of them. In fact, elderly people tend to stay in dangerous areas for the longest time, as they struggle with relocation.

“An elderly IDP is a tree that has been uprooted and transported to different soil. As we all know, it is very difficult for large trees to establish roots in new soil.”

Hence, “Miracle Town” is specifically designated for elderly people. To fill it, the foundation created a questionnaire and distributed it in places of compact residence of IDPs. The selection process was difficult because there are more pensioners in need of housing than available places in the town. Priority was given to those in the most difficult circumstances.

“Ten thousand applications are still pending. The selection is mentally tough. Four Ukrainians and four Americans assemble a commission. We discuss each family. We ask questions, make phone calls, and check with the state authorities to see if there are any additional apartments or houses where the individual could live. And so it turns out that it is precisely those who cannot help themselves in any way, who do not have the support of their relatives, who end up here.”

Currently, 150 people live in Miracle Town. They come from Bakhmut, Sieverodonetsk, Soledar, Vuhledar, Lysychansk, Avdiivka, Beryslav, and villages near Kherson.

“There are no more such settlements in Ukraine. I don’t know if there are such settlements worldwide, but for Ukraine, this is a new experience.”

The settlement is not temporary: the inhabitants of “Miracle Town” can live there until the end of their lives.

“Of course, we will be happy if people ever want or can return home. We will bid them farewell with flowers, songs and music as it is a great happiness to return home. But we are realists, we understand that 95% of the people living here no longer have homes. Not only homes, but also the cities they lived in.”

Accordingly, the houses are designed to last for many years. The Dell Loy Hansen Foundation’s founder, who has many years of construction experience, developed the project. According to Oleksandra, the foundation’s mission is to give people not only housing but also decent conditions and hope for a better life.

“Miracle Town” is located on the outskirts of the village of Kolonshchyna. Oleksandra says that to prevent people from feeling cut off from cities, the town’s administration purchased a bus that takes them to Makariv and Kyiv. They want to further improve logistics. The management is open to suggestions, so perhaps it may be possible to reach an agreement for large businesses to assist.

The settlement’s administration ensures that people have something to do. Seven residents have been employed in the settlement, while others are offered to join volunteer initiatives, such as knitting socks or making goodies for the military. To do this, Oleksandra collects funds via her social media and then she uses the money to buy dried fruits, honey, etc.

“Over the past two weeks (in February 2024 – ed.), we have sent 100 kilos of Amosov’s paste alone to different areas of the frontline.”

From time to time, doctors visit the settlement to attend the physical health of its residents. They plan to open a dental office on the premises later om. Special support groups aid in maintaining mental health, organised by various charities. There are several groups, one of which is dedicated to the parents of military personnel. There are also art therapy and sports classes twice a week. Those who wish to attend can do so with a Nordic walking instructor.

Each resident will have their own small plot of land to plant vegetables or ornamental plants. A greenhouse is being built on the territory to grow vegetables and herbs together.

The settlement has a clothing bank where people can borrow clothes for free. Additionally, there is a sewing workshop. There is an entertainment hall in the centre of the settlement, which is still under construction (expected to be completed in May 2024). It will include a beauty salon, a hairdresser, a cinema, a board game room, and an extensive library (currently, there is a small one in one of the rooms). Plans are also in place to open an educational space and establish arrangements with local schools so that the town’s residents can educate children about their home regions.

Oleksandra says that the war is divisive in many ways; people focus on the negative. However, comfortable conditions and joint activities help build good neighbourly relations and mutual respect.

“We aim for it to be a place of peace, safety, and comfort, a place where healing begins. This is our main goal, and we are working towards it.”

Oleksandra observes that people unite not only based on territorial origin (let’s say, those from Bakhmut) but also by interests.

“It takes some time, and I won’t say it happens overnight. But when people find themselves safe, warm and in conditions where they do not have to solely focus on survival, they begin to thaw. Our goal here is to create an active community in which people interact and help each other.”

Residents of “Miracle Town”

Halyna Postoieva is from Bakhmut. Despite the shelling and the danger to her life, she did not leave for a long time and cooked for the Ukrainian military.

“I was cooking for half a year, lost my hearing and got a concussion. But it’s okay. I’m glad that I wasn’t killed and that they didn’t starve.”

She says that if there is a canteen in the settlement, she will go there to help.

Another resident of the settlement is Nadiia Korytska. She lives there with her husband, Kostiantyn.

“We are from the most beautiful town on earth (for me, for us) — the city of Chasiv Yar, near Bakhmut, where terrible hostilities occur. Our house was damaged on 5 May 2022: an OTR-21 Tochka (tactical ballistic missile) hit our neighbour’s house, and it was blown to pieces. Our house was also severely damaged, but my husband and I miraculously survived.”

After that, the family moved to their parents’ house. They had planned to spend the winter there, but as the shelling intensified, they had to move to Zaporizhzhia. Both underwent complex surgeries there. After that they lived in a dormitory and then submitted an application form to live in “Miracle Town”. The couple could not believe that they had been chosen. Nadiia was crying, it seemed to her that everything was too good to be true.

The woman says they go for groceries by car, have a group chat where they communicate when suppliers come to the settlement, and sign up for a free bus to go to the city for food or medicine.

An acquaintance of the couple lives there as well. She once worked with them at the same factory. They also made friends with other residents.

“The car let us down, it broke down, Kostia couldn’t make it start. Well, it’s okay. Kostia walked all the way to the store today and asked if they sold honey. Today, Leonidovych came in — he lives here in house 16/3 — and said: ‘I’ll bring you honey, I’ll go to the village, you won’t make it there on foot.’ He took the jars. You see how kind he is.”

Rebuild Makariv Foundation: raising funds from partners to restore the village

Hennadii Pohorelov is an officer of the State Emergency Service and the founder and head of the Rebuild Makariv Foundation. Since July 2022, the man has been looking for funds and contractors to restore what the Russian army had destroyed in the Makariv community.

When the Russians entered Makariv, Hennadii did not wear his uniform for security reasons but still helped evacuate people.

“The motto of our service is ‘Prevent. Save. Help.’ When the full-scale invasion began, there was nothing we could do to prevent it, but I thought we would try.”

After the liberation of Makariv, the man delivered humanitarian supplies to the community. He helped to find and transport the bodies of Ukrainians killed during the fighting for the village to the morgue.

In the summer of 2022, Hennadii founded the Rebuild Makariv Foundation, met representatives from Oxfam International, and began cooperating with them.

“They offer reasonably good budgets, flexible terms, and diverse projects. Having worked for some time, we have gained [their] trust and credibility, so they allow us to change certain project conditions. If we cannot implement a particular project or there is no need for it, we have the right to transfer the budget to another expenditure item relevant to our community.”

Throughout the cooperation, the partners have become convinced that the foundation can be trusted and that it uses the funds efficiently. Hennadii says that he sometimes manages to exceed the plan and stay within the budget. For example, Oxfam International allocated funds for the installation of 300 windows and doors, and thanks to an agreement with the contractor, 700 were installed within the same budget.

According to Hennadii, Vadym Tokar, the head of the Makariv community, suggested establishing the fund.

“At some point after the hostilities, he said, ‘Listen, we need to look for funds somewhere because the state budget does not have them at all.’ He offered to set up and head the foundation.”

The Fund was launched in July 2022. Officially, only Hennadii and an accountant work there. Hennadii does not receive a salary because, as a current civil servant, he is not entitled to it under the Law of Ukraine “On Prevention of Corruption”.

Many organisations are surprised by this approach: How can you work and not get paid? I’ll tell you, it is possible. You just need to understand that we’re currently living through a period like this.

The fund was created to find resources for restoring the community as a whole, including critical infrastructure and communal and residential buildings. At first, we cleared the rubble, installed windows, and made minor repairs. Later, according to Hennadii, it became noticeable how the state got involved in the reconstruction, so there have been fewer such tasks.

“We focus on people who cannot get help from the state. And it is perfect that the state has engaged 101% today (I like the number 101 because it is our working phone number), I mean the eVidnovnennia programme (Eng. eRestoration).”

There is damage in every area, and it affects the community’s life, says Hennadii.

“Most businesses suffered, and jobs were lost. […] A certain number of businesses moved to other regions, mainly to the country’s west. And enterprises with one and a half to two or even three thousand job places have been destroyed. It’s been almost two years since the de-occupation, which means two years of fully functioning and life in the community. But the businesses are not being restored. Clearly, a lot of money is needed, and most likely, people are simply afraid to invest.”

Therefore, one of the Foundation’s projects was aimed at supporting small entrepreneurs: the partners allocated money to purchase equipment for more than 20 businesses. This will directly impact the community’s recovery, as there will be more taxes and jobs.

Besides more minor repairs and installing doors and windows, the foundation helped build a frame house for a family with two children. This story is remarkable for Hennadii. During the hostilities in Makariv, shell fragments hit the roof of the family’s house, causing a fire. At that time, the State Emergency Service no longer responded to calls because of the shelling. Hennadii learned about the fire from his neighbours. After assessing the situation, he realised there was no way to prevent the fire, but he called his neighbours to move his valuables to the garage.

“As the moment of de-occupation came, when our foundation was already operating, I often thought about this family. I realised that I, an employee of the State Emergency Service, could not save the burning house. This is my inner struggle. I felt like I had to do something to help these people.”

And he managed to help: Hennadii negotiated with his partners to take on the project.

“During our next meeting, I asked, ‘Do you happen to have an extra budget available? There is this family, we need to build a house for them.’ And they answered, ‘You know what, let’s look into it.’ We arrived, and met the girls (the family whose house was destroyed has two daughters — ed.). The Americans were touched, and they said, ‘You know what, we’re ready to help, how much money do you need?’ I roughly estimated and said, ‘Do you have a million hryvnias?’ — ‘Yes, we do’ — ‘Cool, let’s do it.’”

Hennadii came up with the idea for the frame house himself, drew it, ordered the project, and found contractors:

“It took 44 days from the foundation being poured to the moment we opened [the house] and cut the ribbon.”

Olha, whose house they built, says it has enough space for her family, although it is smaller than the house the Russian army destroyed. They had to live with their neighbours for more than six months, and then they were forced to stay in their summer kitchen, so they are happy with what they have.

Hennadii says there is no need to scale up the idea of such a house, as the foundation works only within the Makariv community, and thanks to various partners, there is no longer such a need. Instead, his foundation meets the humanitarian needs of the community’s residents: solid fuel, food, household chemicals, etc. However, there are no plans to switch to this activity completely.

“I tackle urgent tasks. I even try to look to tomorrow, foresee the near future, and look for and implement projects that are relevant today.”

As a representative of the State Emergency Service, Hennadii pays special attention to the availability of shelters. According to him, there is a critical shortage of them in educational institutions: in many places, basements are being set up instead, or there are no basements at all, and they need to be built from scratch. Shelters are critical for continuing education offline, and people will come back if they understand that this security aspect is covered. And it all comes down to money.

Hennadii is confident that much can be done through the cooperation of the community, local authorities, and international partners. In a situation where there is so much work to be done because of the destruction, he urges not to wait for someone to decide to help but to take initiative and join those who are already doing something.

“I would like the locals to study the issues and problems of the local authorities and always support them, join the work of our foundation, other foundations and the authorities. […] It’s not always about money, sometimes even a word can make a difference.”

Due to its proximity to Kyiv, Makariv is an excellent village for families who work in the capital but seek a peaceful environment. Hennadii envisions a future where the community’s population grows, influencing its development and the viability of amenities like theatres, cinemas, and other spaces. Achieving this dream requires ongoing efforts in recovery.

“I dream of the day when our foundation will change its name: it will become ‘Build [Makariv]’ instead of ‘Rebuild.’”