LocationsNizhyn: How the Community Supports People During the War
December 1, 2025
Nizhyn is one of the oldest cities in Ukraine, and with a population of over 80,000 people also one of the largest in Chernihiv Oblast. Before the full-scale invasion, the city had been actively developing: roads were being repaired, the city hospital was being modernized, and public spaces were being improved. There was a feeling that steady, gradual progress was being made.
But the full-scale war changed everything. Nizhyn found itself in the combat zone and became a logistical hub for the defence of Chernihiv.
“The Nizhyn community was one of the first to suffer strikes on the city’s infrastructure,” says Yuliia Kuzmenko, the head of the International Relations Department of Nizhyn City Council. “At five in the morning on 24 February 2022, the life of the community changed instantly. Previously, we were planning projects related to urban development, and street and park reconstruction, but now the focus has shifted, and many new challenges have emerged.”
The community realized that it was important not only to maintain infrastructure, but also to create the proper conditions for the people who lived there, or who had found temporary refuge there.
Together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine and partners, the city began creating spaces where people could work, recover, and receive support.
When Work Becomes Support
One of these spaces is a sewing workshop — where several dozen women work, communicate, and learn something new every day. Many of them moved to Nizhyn from cities affected by the fighting and started their lives there from scratch. Some had never had any experience in sewing but mastered the craft after arriving.
The workshop was launched under the “Mayors for Economic Growth (M4EG)” initiative, which is funded by the EU and implemented by UNDP: the premises were renovated, equipment was purchased, and training was organized. To establish exactly what the women needed, the team conducted a survey before the launch and listened carefully to their requests.
“Yes, work is important, but many of the women also had psychological trauma related to leaving their homes and worrying about their relatives — husbands and sons — who are fighting on the front line,” says Kuzmenko. “So, this workshop not only provides people with jobs and salaries, but also offers a space for communication and mutual psychological support.”
This is how the community created a place where women not only work but also feel that they are being supported.
Natalia, a displaced woman from Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast, shares: “I’m new here. They taught me this craft — I hadn’t done it professionally before. My relatives advised me to come here. I like it here.”
For some, this is their first workplace in a new city. For others, it is an opportunity to gradually rebuild their inner stability and find support.
Safety, Essential for the Community
Safety has always been a key concern in Nizhyn. The city is located at a crossroads of transportation routes, and it is important for residents to feel secure in their daily lives. According to Halyna Bondarenko, coordinator of international programmes and head of the NGO “Vilna,” the community has repeatedly discussed the need to strengthen the monitoring of public spaces.
So, with the support of UNDP and the EU, more than 40 surveillance cameras have been installed in Nizhyn and the surrounding villages. The initiative was implemented under the flagship UNDP–EU partnership “EU4Recovery — Empowering Communities in Ukraine” initiative.
“This is a comprehensive project with several components,” explains manager of project “Bespechna gromada” Oleh Lisovets. “We started with a survey of residents to identify the security issues that concern them and those they consider most important. We involved representatives from all sectors of the community and developed different aspects of the security situation. Thanks to UNDP, we now have a new dimension of safety. And this project will continue.”
Municipal Guard officer Vadym Lavrinets demonstrates how the system works: the cameras record events around the clock. They feature night vision mode, sound, and zoom for detailed viewing, and the footage is stored for 30 days. They help ensure there is a fast and precise response to any emerging security situations.
“From a technical point of view, the cameras cover a number of central streets, high-risk traffic zones, as well as parks and squares that previously had no cameras,” says Lavrinets. “The system also helps with traffic accidents: we can see what happened and the circumstances of the incident, as well as any disruptions to city transportation. The residents also know that such cameras are in place, which has reduced the number of public order violations.”
For the community, this is not just a matter of technology — it concerns their ability to live more peacefully and feel that the city cares about its people.
A Safe Environment for Children who have Experienced Trauma
Security in Nizhyn concerns not only public spaces but also the issue of children who have come into conflict with the law or found themselves in difficult circumstances. With the support of UNDP and the EU, a “green room” was established at the local police station — a space where children can participate in investigative procedures in a non-threatening and safe environment. Here, children can share their stories freely and without unnecessary pressure or fear. While this approach has long existed in global practice, it is a new initiative for the region and is not even used in the city of Chernihiv.
“Thanks to UNDP, we now have rooms like these not only in Nizhyn but also in Koriukivka,” says Oksana Ohnenko, head of the Juvenile Crime Prevention Department of the Preventive Activities Administration. “Nizhyn is a large city, and children from the entire district are brought here.”
The creation and setup of “green rooms” was also made possible thanks to the flagship UNDP–EU partnership “EU4Recovery — Empowering Communities in Ukraine” initiative.
The room is equipped with toys, art supplies, a television, as well as anatomical dolls, which allow a child to show what might be difficult for them to express in words.
“A child can demonstrate on the doll what happened,” explains Ohnenko. “It’s similar to an investigative experiment, but in a child-friendly version. And to take a break, the child can watch cartoons or do some drawing.”
However, the most important thing is not the space itself, but the way it operates:
The child is never left alone with the police — a psychologist is always present.
“A psychologist is present with the child in the room,” says juvenile police officer Tetyana Dakhno. “Police officers first discuss certain questions with the psychologist, which will later be asked of the child, so that the psychologist knows the context and how to guide the conversation. In an adjacent room, behind one-way glass, are the investigator, a prosecutor’s representative, and a juvenile police officer. The psychologist wears an earpiece, allowing us to adjust questions based on what the child shows or says. This is how the process works.”
The green room helps protect children from re-traumatization while simultaneously improving the quality of the investigation. It’s about ensuring safety and care, even during complex legal processes.
A Support Space for Veterans and their Families
Nizhyn is also taking care of those returning from the war. With the support of international partners, the community has opened a large veterans’ space — one of the largest in Chernihiv Oblast. It was designed as a place where male and female veterans and their families can receive assistance, support, and gain a sense of community.
The space includes several rooms: a gym, a hall for classes and meetings, offices for a lawyer and a psychologist, as well as a children’s room and a small café. Here, people can work out, receive consultations, spend leisure time with their children, or simply connect with others who have shared similar experiences.
The organizer of the space, Inna Kulyinko, says the idea was to create a place where veterans can gradually return to having normal lives.
“This is not just for veterans, it’s for their families, service members, the families of the deceased, and the families of the missing,” says Kulyinko. “They all receive services from us free of charge. This includes psychological support, legal assistance, and access to a fitness centre run by a veteran. There is also a children’s room where kids can be cared for. We have a lawyer, a psychologist, two fitness trainers, and a caregiver on staff.”
Another key focus is supporting families. Veterans often face bureaucratic challenges, post-service stress, and feelings of isolation.
“95% of veterans say they don’t so much need psychological help as they need participation and understanding,” Kulyinko says. “Some of them feel abandoned. But mostly, the space is not just for veterans — it’s for their families, and that’s important. Often, they come for therapy as couples. For me, it’s important that these men and women can live a full life again.”
Various projects are also carried out in the space. Kulyinko shows us one of the latest initiatives — photo sessions for the families of fallen soldiers, featuring their photographs and uniforms. It’s a way to preserve memory and support loved ones who are grieving.
Kulyinko emphasizes that UNDP’s support was crucial at the start: it was thanks to this assistance that the first equipment for the centre was purchased. Now, the space has become a place of return to life — for those who have been through the war, and for those who were waiting for or have lost loved ones.
UNDP supported the setup of the centre together with the EU within the framework of the “EU4Recovery — Empowering Communities in Ukraine” partnership.
Support for Different Generations
In Nizhyn, not only infrastructure but also social services are being updated. Some municipal spaces were outdated and did not meet the needs of the city’s various population groups. So, with support from UNDP and the Government of Canada, a social adaptation space for older adults was opened at the Territorial Centre for Social Services.
Here, people engage in crafts, including painting, sewing, and sculpting. But most importantly, it is a place where people can be together, support one another, and find new meaning in everyday life.
“For pensioners, this is an extension of life,” says centre visitor Natalia, showing us her paintings. “We come here to socialize. Whenever we visit, the staff always ask how we are feeling, how things are going, and offer advice and help. This space is our second home.”
This space also helped another visitor, Valentyna, discover her talent for painting: “I had never painted in my life. I’m now 88, I went to school during World War II, and now I’ve lived through this war as well. And the girls here taught me. We have a wonderful teacher, Nina Anatoliivna, and thanks to her, I was able to find myself in this wonderful activity.”
According to Tamara Berezhnyak, the deputy head of the centre, UNDP support made it possible to create comfortable conditions and a new level of social services.
“We now have a new, efficient space where older adults feel at home, where they can receive help and feel valued, pursue personal fulfillment, and not just stay at home,” says Berezhnyak. “Moreover, this space is located within our centre, where, with the support of international partners, all types of social services for them are organized — hairdressing, laundry, and more.”
Another space has been created for students. Thanks to a UNDP project, a local university has set up a hall for meetings, learning, and group work. Its easily movable furniture allows the space to be adapted for different formats — from training sessions to public discussions.
This used to be an old changing room, where the cleaners stored things like in a storeroom,” says Galyna Bondarenko, coordinator of international programmes and head of the NGO “Vilna”. “Now, this space can host events of various formats. This is how we implemented this creative idea so that both students and community members can use it. It has everything — a mobile charging station, heating that warms up quickly — and everything works well even during blackouts.”
Another new space was created in a place where it was especially needed — in the city hospital. With support from UNDP and the European Union, a relaxation room for medical staff was set up — a place where doctors can rest during their shifts and reduce stress levels.
“We have faced prolonged periods of tension and stress among doctors and medical staff,” says hospital director Iryna Sheiko. “This has been ongoing for years, considering the COVID-19 pandemic and then the full-scale invasion. This decompression room allows staff to come here — some to be alone, some to talk with colleagues, some to meet with a psychologist, use the massage chair, or sit on a soft pouf. This room is a source of relaxation and energy for our employees.”
She emphasizes that it was thanks to UNDP and the EU that this project became a reality.
“Essentially, this room exists thanks to the partners, she adds. “We created it — we renovated the space and equipped it with what you see: furniture, a massage chair, tools for the psychologist, tables. But the most important thing was the idea! The room is now a place where medical staff can recharge and continue their work with less fatigue. For the hospital, it is a means of support for those who support others every day.
Moving Forward Despite Challenges
Nizhyn continues to live and support its people under difficult conditions. Together with its partners, the community is creating spaces where people can work, find support, and restore themselves.
This daily effort helps the community keep moving forward and develop, despite the constant new challenges and threats posed by the war.
Photo credit: Kostiantyn Levchenko / UNDP in Ukraine
The story was prepared as part of the campaign “Ukraine Delivers,” a joint initiative by the Ministry for the Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine.
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