Kinburn: the territory of win-win agreements (2009-2010)

Kinburn is a sandbar on the border of Kherson and Mykolayiv regions in Ukraine, that is located between the Dniproriver and the Black sea. This is the one of the last places in Europe not yet ruined by humans that still holds its natural values. It is still possible to protect the unique nature and to create adequate conditions for local residents. This conclusion was made according to the results of the research (UA version) that was held by “Green Dossier” in collaboration with Holland program PUM.
The project “Kinburn: the territory of win-win agreements” was provided by “Green Dossier” in partnership with NGO “Common actions”(Mykolayiv) and Kherson city center of Youth Initiatives “Totem” in 2009-2010.
The goal of the project was to start consulting process and creation of platform to hold the positive dialogue on regional landscape park “Kinburnskakosa” (national nature park “Biloberezhzhya Sviatoslava”) with all sides interested.
During the project there was held the research if the interests of different structures that are interested in holding activities around Kinburn, and the main problems and possible ways of understanding were revealed (July-September 2009)
The participants of the round table and press tour (18-19 of September 2009) who were representatives of governmental structures, business structures and non-governmental organizations from Mykolayiv and Kherson regions, locals, journalists from Ochakiv and Mykolayiv as well as members of all-Ukrainian network “Environment and mass-media” came to the conclusion that essentially the ecological cleanness of the region is the major value of Kinburn, and that the most perspective way for Kinburn is tourism development. There is a great potential for tourist and recreation activity, conditions for agro-tourism development, organization of ecological camps, art open airs, sports competitions, as well as for exciting trips into the nature and history.
There are lots of problems on the way to harmonious development of the peninsula. The first one is the absence of adequate infrastructure. This is the issue all project participants completely agree on: lack of roads and uncontrolled transport destroy areas of valuable vegetation; the absence of sewage system and the system of garbage collecting and transportation turn reservation lands into junkyard; selling lands to private owners and existing corruption schemes do not let planning the activities for sustainable development. To develop Kinburn as a tourist territory, the professional and creative advertisement is needed from one side but tourist flows should be strictly controlled from another side, as well as controlling the behavior of tourists, developing of the infrastructure (first of all, solving of problems with household wastes), providing of eco-management in acting commercial structures (such as hotels and beaches), as well as interesting new propositions for rest that is rich in content.
In dedication to the Day of Environment protection (2010) there were held joint activities of few organizations “Kinburn. Clean equilibrium” that are the specific actions that should lead to positive changes.

 

Visiting center “About Kinburn with love”

SerhiyLytvyniuk, the owner of the private mini-hotel eagerly provided the room in his building for creation of informational center. The house that is located on Kinburn crossroads is impossible to pass by where ever you may go has become the first place for understanding. Visiting center “About Kinburn with love” is opened for tourists and the project partner Mykolayiv NGO “Common actions” prepared first informational materials for it.
The history of Kinburn starts from V century B.C. (UA version)
Safety guide, because the location is quite specific. (UA version)
Leaflets with pictures of Kinburn – for tourist to remember. (UA version)

 

Surprises from Myroslav Vayda, land art master, and his pupils

Kherson center of youth initiatives “Totem” (project partner) has invited land artists to Kinburn. Landart was previously unknown to Kinburn locals, but they as well as tourists got familiar with the fantasies that were awoken by this ancient land in the minds of artists from Lviv. They also tried to see usual things from the different angle. After the tour to the compositions, created by artists, the most noticeable of them have quickly become the pilgrimage objects as well as the background for taking pictures. It is interesting that that while creating, artists were very friendly observed for all week by locals from Pokrovka, who eagerly helped young people and protected them from angry June mosquitoes, and finally, became friends.
Surprises from Myroslav Vayda and his pupils may become a good example for other reservations and parks, as such “quite” fests do not harm nature and at the same time turn visitors’ attention to its beauty and problems.
Gallery of land art created on Kinburn.

 

Money from garbage

Are not yet earned. But traditional scavenging action was decided not to hold as it was realized that it is not the garbage, but valuable source. During the time of the round table stormy discussion not experts from Kiev and not ecologists from Mykolayiv, but locals proclaimed that it is quite real to recycle plastic bottles into raw materials and to earn money in this field. But who will coordinate it? May it be the staff of regional landscape park?  In any case the activity organizers were asked to search the possibilities of buying needed equipment.

By the results of the project there was created a social video clip that was shown by local Kherson and Mykolayiv TV channels, as well as widely disseminated through social networks.

 

Project “Kinburn: the territory of win-win agreements” is provided with the support of the office of the adviser on the questions of agriculture, nature and food products quality of Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine.


Pictures from Kinburn