The stillness of the forest, the aroma of herbs and the cold surface of mountain water: in the municipality of Synevyr, nature sets the pace of life. This is what inspired SynevyrECO, a local brand that was created with the support of U-LEAD with Europe in 2021 as part of a local subsidy competition (budget: UAH 360,000). These funds helped kick things off: the municipality established an Entrepreneurship Support Centre, prepared brand materials, conducted training for local producers and created five herbal tea recipes under the umbrella of SynevyrECO.
Because of the war, the implementation stage was extended until August 2022. The concept turned into a tool that brought together entrepreneurs and placed eco-friendly practices at the forefront of development.
“Our Synevyr municipality is located in the Synevyr National Park, so industry here is limited. We deliberately chose the path of eco-friendly business — under SynevyrECO, an umbrella brand for craft products, crafts and ecotourism. Today, you can visit Vivcharskyi Khutir, an ethnocultural centre that offers foods tastings and a local goods store, and SynevyrECO serves as a single brand name for all our products and services,” says Mariana Misyk, a Project Manager of the Entrepreneurship Support Centre.
How it all started: from idea to “touchpoints”
- 2021: an idea was submitted to U-LEAD with Europe to receive a local subsidy. The starter package included the Entrepreneurship Support Centre, the brand book and communication strategy, training for producers, theory and practical recommendations for collecting and processing wild herbs.
- 2021–2022: the first “touchpoints” with tourists: shelves/displays with local produce were set up in popular locations so that guests had something “local” to buy.
- 2022–2024: the umbrella brand gradually covered craft foods, crafts and tourism. Building partnerships and strengthening the promotion.
“This financial support had three main components: firstly, municipality awareness; secondly, the use of modern platforms so that people can display and sell their products; and thirdly, the ‘hard’ component, that is, specific assistance on the ground. We gathered proactive entrepreneurs and producers, agreed with the owners of a popular venue, a tourist magnet. This is so important, because it is difficult for highland municipalities to replenish their budgets. Investors find it unprofitable to enter this market, as they have to pay an additional 25% of the so-called ‘mountain’ tax on the salaries of hired workers. While there is no such compensation mechanism, we are looking for other options,” says Pavlo Lohvinov, the Head of the Regional Office of U-LEAD with Europe in Zakarpattia Oblast.
Vivcharskyi Khutir: reviving the sheep farming craft
In the autumn of 2023, the municipality decided to revive sheep farming, a traditional trade for the highlanders. According to local media, entrepreneur Ivan Yatsko started with a large flock (about 350 sheep), some of which he purchased from the locals, and others - through the regional programme.
With the support of the regional programme, 52 Ukrainian Mountain Carpathian sheep were purchased for UAH 520,000, of which 79% (UAH 410,000) was reimbursed by the state. At the same time, Yatsko invested in feed, equipment and logistics, and officially employed four shepherds. The farm is currently preparing documents for pedigree status (certification is ongoing).
Vivcharskyi Khutir tasting room opened in May 2024. Here you can try and buy budz, smoked budz, vurda and bryndza cheeses, as well as herbal teas, honey and craft products. Every day, shepherds graze their flock in the meadow at an altitude of over 1000–1200 m above sea level; the store receives fresh produce right “from the mountains”.
The umbrella of SynevyrECO has attracted almost UAH 2,000,000 from various donors for business projects and a comparable amount for social initiatives (equipment, promotion and infrastructure) over the past 2.5 years.
Development and partnerships: new opportunities with FORZA
Synevyr municipality has joined the European initiative RURACTIVE, which is implemented in Ukraine by FORZA. The municipality collaborated with the team of this NGO at the suggestion of the Regional Office of U-LEAD with Europe in Zakarpattia Oblast.
“We once held a competition of projects for the Carpathian region with the support of Switzerland. Three ideas won, and it so happened that all of them had something to do with cheeses. Vivcharskyi Khutir scored the most points, and we supported them with equipment,” said Lesia Loiko, the Head of FORZA. “Synevyr municipality has now joined the RURACTIVE initiative, which is implemented in Ukraine by FORZA. For Synevyr, this is a logical next step: the idea of a local brand is combined with RURACTIVE tools that include joint planning, multi-actor teams and pilot solutions for tourism, processing of local resources and protection of the environment.”
The municipality has already hosted Active Village Day in Synevyrska Poliana as well as a discussion on sustainable tourism with the participation of the Synevyr National Park, neighbouring municipalities and stakeholders in the oblast; now they are setting up a business board and designing a roadmap for change. Next steps include the launch of local pilot projects (tourism offer and promotion, points of sale, micro-infrastructure for eco-routes, added value of wild plant products), as well as training and facilitation of teams.
A project that lives on
According to the head of Synevyr municipality Ivan Chup, a successful project is not just one that was successfully implemented, but one that lives on after the basic financing runs out.
“Being located in a national park, we have to keep a balance between conservation and development. Although we used to hold festivals, no one really thought about what exactly to show and offer to our guest; now, joint efforts have enabled real products and points of sale, from a farm to a local goods store. We chose to follow our own Carpathian path — by restoring our mountain sheep breed (only Carpathian Mountain sheep are needed, as they are perfectly active and resilient), expanding our product range, and this is yielding results,” says the head of the municipality.
Ivan Chup emphasises that this initiative was launched and succeeded thanks to the partnership among businesses, public authorities and the community. No one could have done this alone — but cooperation has ensured that the project lives on and will continue to live on, because there are people here to work, things to show and reasons to protect the mountains.
Photos: Varosh
