LocationsPavlohrad: Community strength in a frontline city
February 19, 2026
Pavlohrad is located just 50 kilometres from the combat zone in the east of Ukraine. But despite daily threats, the community has learned to live in a new reality that demands resilience and composure.
The city is also continuing to develop. The priority is not only to endure, but also to create conditions where people can keep living, learning, working, growing, and receiving support.
The city is gradually changing thanks to the cooperation between activists, local authorities, and international partners. Together, they support community members, displaced people, veterans, and entrepreneurs — helping them to remain strong and to build the future.
A new space of opportunity
One of the places helping the community move forward is the “Idea” Centre for Business Activity and Civic Initiatives, which was created by the Pavlohrad Agency for Economic Development with support from the European Union (EU) and UNDP. Initially conceived as a hub for small business development, it quickly transformed into an integration space that brings together different groups of population for learning, support, and collaboration.
Here, people receive training on how to start their own businesses, and the centre also brings together veterans and young people, and hosts relocated businesses and the IDP Council. The space has adapted to the needs of the community and opened its doors to everyone who needs a point of support.
“The centre was created in January 2024,” says Alla Hudozhnyk, Chief Entrepreneurship Development Specialist at the Department for Entrepreneurship Development and Investment Attraction of the Pavlohrad City Council Executive Committee.
“We had dreamed about it since 2015, but back then we didn’t have enough opportunities,” Hudozhnyk says. “When we met with UNDP representatives, the idea emerged to implement a series of successful projects aimed at sustainable community development and improving the quality of life.”
“Now we run courses for entrepreneurs here and provide city-funded grants to those who want to start their own businesses. We’ve already held one competition this year: the winner opened an art studio and created new jobs. And we will have another competition at the end of the year.”.
Hudozhnyk says the centre has already been visited by more than 1,700 people. It has sparked new initiatives and helped build horizontal connections. For a city that had depended for decades on several large industrial enterprises, such a space is an important step forward.
“At first, it was a business centre focused on entrepreneurship development,” explains Nataliia Chumak, one of the participants and co-creators of the project. “But we realized that many relocated businesses and many people in need of support were coming here. Now we focus on multi-purpose community cohesion, not only on business ideas, and we work in various directions.”
“These initiatives have a positive impact on the community — they demonstrate strong cooperation between business, authorities, and society, and they strengthen social cohesion, integrating people and helping them feel invested in the development of their community.”
Caring for those who protect
In Pavlohrad, people understand well that while Ukraine’s soldiers are holding the line at the front, the community must take care of those who return from the war, those who await the return of their loved ones, and those who are coping with a loss.
The key hub for this support is the Pavlohrad Centre for Social and Psychological Services — a place where veterans, their family members, and the relatives of those missing can receive assistance. The centre is led by Tetiana Rybalko, whose son also serves in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“Here, we support veterans, families of the fallen, families of the missing, and those returning from captivity,” Rybalko says. “Often they stop by for just five minutes — to say hello, to share a moment. These men and women are looking for ‘their own,’ people they can trust. And that recognition means a lot to them.”
With support from the EU and UNDP, the centre was quickly renovated, equipped with workspaces, and provided with the tools it needed. This, in turn, made it possible to form a team that helps veterans navigate complex administrative procedures — from preparing documents to interacting with various institutions.
Psychologists also work at the centre,. providing support to the families of the fallen, the relatives of service members, and those who have returned from captivity. Psychologist Kateryna Horban personally meets with veterans and speaks with them even when they come to the centre for other matters.
She explains that sometimes a simple conversation can be the first step that helps someone regain a sense of stability.
“We help veterans adapt to civilian life; we support the parents of the fallen or missing, we work through emotions together, we do certain exercises,” Horban says.
“Yes, it’s very difficult, but when I see them feeling better — that inspires me.”
The relatives of those missing in action need special support. One of them is Liudmyla, who was forced to leave Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast after her son went missing during the war.
“The military evacuated me from Pokrovsk — I couldn’t have left on my own,” Liudmyla says. “Here, the entire team welcomed me warmly and humanely. I was never ignored in any matter.”
The centre emphasizes that reintegrating veterans and supporting their families is not just a matter of helping individuals — it strengthens the entire community. When people are not left alone to deal with their struggles and challenges, it builds mutual trust and a sense of belonging.
Creativity that unites
Pavlohrad also has spaces that bring the community together and give people opportunities to express themselves. One of these is the “KreaSfera” creative industries centre.
“Here, 130 artisans produce around 4,000 handmade items,” says “KreaSfera” founder Valentyna Smyk.
“We unite local and other artisans, and up to 30% of the products are made by displaced people,” she says.
In 2014, Smyk herself had to leave occupied Horlivka in Donetsk Oblast because of the war. She found support in creativity, and then had the idea of creating a space where artisans could not only sell their work, but also meet, share experiences, and hold workshops.
The project was implemented with support from the EU and UNDP. Grant funds were used to purchase furniture, equipment, renovate the space — and the centre came to life.
“Together with the NGO ‘Agency of Creative Changes,’ we applied for a grant and were able to buy furniture and equipment, renovate the space, purchase a coffee machine, printer, and a heater, because there was no heating here,” explains Valentyna Smyk.
“KreaSfera” now serves an important social function as a place of community and psychological support for hundreds of people engaged in handicrafts. Often, these people are from socially vulnerable groups.
“Typically, these are people with disabilities who cannot leave their homes and find themselves in creativity, or mothers on maternity leave and single mothers,” says Smyk. “During the war, it plays not just an economic role, but also a calming one — people communicate here, make friends. Some locals even say they come just to see it, like they would go to a museum.
Smyk says she believes creativity gives strength and drives people forward, and this is the reason why “KreaSfera” has become a kind of source of strength for the community.
A city that continues to develop despite the war
Pavlohrad continues to change, step by step, and relying on the power of its community. Spaces are being created that support people, enhance interaction, and help those in need recover. City residents work together to find solutions and build an environment where everyone can be part of the community.
It is this ability to act together that makes the city more resilient and allows it to move forward, despite war and uncertainty.
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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