Ukraine’s recovery launches with first internationally funded object

Without exaggeration, a historical event for our country took place in the Zhytomyr region. In the border town of Ovruch, a capsule was laid at the place where Estonia will build a modular kindergarten for Ukrainian children. Today, it is the first object in Ukraine that will be rebuilt with the support from the Government of a foreign state.

"When I met President Zelensky in March, he convinced me that European countries could take a specific region of Ukraine under their friendly wing, and Estonia made a choice. We are going to undeniably support the Zhytomyr region in reconstruction. Symbolically, I laid the cornerstone for the first project—a kindergarten in Ovruch. But there will be more projects. We plan to invest in the region in the future," says Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu.

Neither the downpour nor the air raid prevented the future generation from laying the capsule. However, it reminded us of the conditions Ukraine is currently living in and how important the support of European partners is now.

"We were preparing a good event; children planned to thank the Estonian people, but again the air raid siren prevented us, as it interferes with life, but we are doing everything to ensure that the war ends as soon as possible with our victory," says the governor of the Zhytomyr region Vitalii Bunechko.

The only thing that will differentiate the kindergarten in Ovruch from the one in Estonia is that the project will also develop the construction of a bomb shelter for children. For the "Great Reconstruction" to start in Ukraine, officials put in a lot of effort. Visits to destroyed cities and several months of negotiations in Tallinn yielded the first results.

"It is symbolic that the first facility in Ukraine is a kindergarten. That is, kindergarten is the future; it is children; it is the continuation of our family. It is symbolic that the first object is not a destroyed object but an object of new infrastructure. There is already a letter of guarantee from the Government of Estonia. Estonia has already allocated funds to construct this kindergarten; design work is currently underway. We expect a quick construction of this kindergarten. Of course, there is a question of the security situation, and we, together with the military administration, the Government of Estonia, will pay attention to this factor," said People's Deputy of Ukraine in the Servant of the People faction Arsenii Pushkarenko.

In total, the russians destroyed 70 kindergartens and schools in the Zhytomyr region. The kindergarten in Ovruch became the first of 15 infrastructure objects that the military administration submitted to the Government of Estonia, next to the bridges destroyed during the occupation of part of the region.

"I think that soon, Estonia will announce the next object, so step by step, we are moving towards the reconstruction of Ukraine, towards the reconstruction of the Zhytomyr region. I am convinced that, together with such reliable partners who stand by us with Estonia and other countries, of course, we will rebuild Ukraine. It is important today to understand that, both in political issues, sanctions issues, and the issue of weapons, Estonia is the first in its decisions, the first in helping Ukraine. According to the percentage of GDP, Estonia helped Ukraine the most today," says the People's Deputy of Ukraine, Servant of the People faction, Arsenii Pushkarenko.