On April 9, the Bez Obmezhen space opened in Horodok, which will operate within the public library. Thanks to the mentoring support provided within the project, the library’s premises have been made barrier-free both outside and inside. The project is being implemented by the NGO Horodochchyna Development Agency in partnership with the Horodok Public Library and the Horodok City Council.

The Horodok Hromada is one of 10 hromadas that won a competition held by the Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund and Cedos. As part of the competition, each community received a grant of 1,000,000 UAH to create a community building center, along with mentoring support from experts in architecture, culture, communications, and social interaction.

The project team developed a concept for the development of the space, which will allow for attracting grant funds and continuing its modernization. The community building center became the first stage in the transformation of the library space.

About the Center

In the Bez Obmezhen space, meetings with artists, creative workshops, book presentations, and film screenings will be held. During the winter, students from the Kharkiv School of Architecture completed their practical training here. In workshops led by architect and project mentor Anton Zheleznov, local school students from 2nd to 11th grade engaged in design and created models.

Participatory meetings with library specialists, directors, local government officials, and representatives of youth organizations helped build a vision for the future of the library.

As part of the project, we brainstormed and came up with many useful and interesting activities, and we want to see them come to life. We aim for this to be not just a library, but a space for all residents of Horodok from different social groups and for the entire community.

Maryana Kuzemska, project mentor, cultural manager, and local development coordinator at Cedos

The library is located in a former 19th-century estate. The main focus of the renovation work was on preserving the old parquet flooring, doors, stove, and the room’s height. At the same time, modern materials and solutions were used where they made the space more accessible and functional.

Even in such difficult times, we do not forget about development. It will happen! Our children will learn, grow, and thrive. We believe in this, and so do our donors, thanks to whom we were able to realize such an important project. We are grateful to them and to the entire team. We are building new meanings on old foundations and moving forward.

Iryna Tochena, Head of the Department of Economic Development, Investments, and International Technical Assistance

Thanks to the partnership with local government bodies, the team was able to secure funds for installing communications and external renovation work.

The team’s plans include working with an architectural firm to prepare a project for expanding the library space to the outdoors, allowing them to hold events during the summer. Together with Polish partners, they are working on an application for the comprehensive restoration of the building.

Read more about the architectural aspect in an interview with one of the project’s mentors, Anton Zheleznov, on Mistosite.

Read also about the opening of the Nezlamni veteran space in the Nizhyn Hromada in the Chernihiv Region and about the community building center in the Krasnokutsk Hromada which opened in the Kharkiv Region.