Chernihiv has received 11 public transport thanks to cooperation with the Swiss municipality
11 buses from Switzerland will soon be serving the streets of Chernihiv!
Thanks to the collaboration between the municipalities of St. Gallen and Chernihiv, the city has received public transport that will significantly ease travel for residents. This is especially important for people with disabilities, pensioners, and schoolchildren, who will be able to use the buses for free.
This project is an example of solidarity and inter municipal cooperation in recovery of Ukraine. Chernihiv was one of the first Ukrainian cities to suffer significant destruction due to the full-scale Russian military aggression. A large part of the city's public infrastructure was destroyed, including 30% of the trolleybus network. The existing public transport is insufficient to serve both residents and many internally displaced people.
«Today, we open a new chapter, with the first delivery of buses to Ukraine. I am happy that this grassroots initiative came from students – Ukrainian and Swiss. St. Gallen and Chernihiv discovered each other on a map and established a connection. The result of this partnership is very concrete. Eleven buses will start serving passengers in Chernihiv thanks to it. It is also an inspiring example for future decentralized cooperation between Ukrainian and Swiss municipalities», — said Swiss Ambassador Félix Baumann.
«On behalf of the community of Chernihiv, I thank the partners for this support and assistance. Special words of gratitude to the community of the City of St. Gallen, the Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine and all those involved in today's event, thanks to whom Chernihiv received these buses. They will be on the balance of the communal trolleybus management. Now, we are considering the possibility of their use on special school routes connecting remote neighborhoods of the city with lyceums», — said acting Chernihiv Mayor Oleksandr Lomako.
The idea to help Chernihiv with municipal transport emerged during a study visit of a Ukrainian parliamentary delegation to Switzerland in May 2023. Initially, the focus was on school buses, but close cooperation between both sides led to the expansion of the project into public transport. This was made possible by the initiative of the «St. Gallen Helps Ukraine» association, founded by Swiss and Ukrainian students, and supported by the «Ukraine Switzerland Bern» Association.
«Since 2022, the Chernihiv community has been a partner of the DECIDE project. Together, we have come a long way in restoring children's access to safe education. Today, thanks to the city of St. Gallen and the Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine, the Swiss public organizations St. Gallen Helps Ukraine and Ukraine Switzerland Bern, and the project team, the community of Chernihiv will receive modern buses, the route of which will pass by educational institutions. I believe that this will be the first step towards establishing cooperation with the community of St. Gallen and another step in the reconstruction of the city of Chernihiv and the improvement of infrastructure, in particular for the children of the city, who suffered a lot as a result of the war», — said manager of the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE project Valentyna Poltorak.
Participants of the event also visited Secondary School No. 32 and No. 13 in Chernihiv, where significant progress was made thanks to the DECIDE Project. At School No. 32, a comprehensive renovation of the shelter covering an area of 293 m² was conducted. The shelter was equipped with new water supply, sewage, and heating systems, ensuring reliable infrastructure even under challenging conditions. The total budget for the work, including equipment purchases, amounted to 3.26 million UAH.
At School No. 13, major renovations of the shelter are still ongoing, which will cover almost 600 square meters upon completion. The total budget for this project exceeds 5.5 million UAH. Additionally, comprehensive renovations of the entire facade, capital repairs of the upper school, and the kitchen area are also underway, with a total budget of 50.5 million UAH.
A big thank you to everyone who made this project possible: Switzerland, the associations USB (Ukraine Schweiz Bern) and St. Gallen Helps Ukraine, the students, and everyone involved.
Together, we are moving forward!