Mission (Im)Possible: Protecting Nature and Promoting Development. How the Synevyr Community is Shaping Its Eco-Brand

A special project on the life and development of the Synevyr community

Synevyr Lake, the highest mountain lake in the Ukrainian Carpathians, is located here. Nearly 80% of the community’s territory lies within the boundaries of the Synevyr National Park, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site known for its ancient beech forests. The area also hosts the Brown Bear Rehabilitation Center, where abused bears are rescued and rehabilitated.

How to use the unique natural features of this region for the well-being of its residents and without causing irreparable damage to the environment? This issue is not only relevant to the Synevyr community but to all mountainous communities across Ukraine. With the onset of the full-scale invasion, it became clear that these communities needed to become more self-sufficient, find alternative sources of funding, and invest in the development of human capital. Fortunately, support from international donors has increased, and the demand for peaceful vacations in the Carpathians—offering immersion in forest tranquility and opportunities for rehabilitation—has never been higher.

In response, the Synevyr community is working to find its own model of sustainability, focusing on the development of eco-friendly tourism, supporting small local entrepreneurs, and amplifying local voices. In this article, we explore the initiatives already underway and evaluate their success.

Reviving Sheep Farming: From Concept to Reality

In the fall of 2022, the Synevyr community decided to revive sheep farming, a traditional occupation of the highlanders. For centuries, sheep provided everything the highlanders needed, from warm clothing to nutritious food. However, in recent years, the number of sheep has sharply declined as many residents have left to seek work elsewhere, abandoning their livestock.

Ivan Yatsko, a 33-year-old entrepreneur from the village of Synevyrska Polyana, is determined to restore this nearly forgotten trade.

Yatsko explains that he didn’t enter this business immediately, but instead, like many others in the community, he first went abroad to work.

“After graduating from a training school, I went to Russia twice for work, but both times I wasn’t paid. On our way home, with not a penny to my name, I told the guys in the car, ‘No more working for others! I’m going to start my own business and hire you.’ The guys laughed really loudly, but, in the end, I turned out to be right,” Ivan recalls with a smile.

This is how Ivan launched his own business building wooden houses in Zakarpattia region, and soon his work expanded across Ukraine and abroad.

When the full-scale invasion began, his business faced significant setbacks. First, border restrictions made it impossible for him to fulfill international orders. And secondly, as he humorously puts it, “I couldn’t even buy a jar of brynza cheese in my own village.”

Ivan decided to make cheese — the kind his grandparents used to create. His aim was to make Polonynskyi cheese, a traditional Carpathian delicacy, so that he, his family, and the entire community could enjoy this local product.

Yet there was a problem: with limited savings, Ivan faced the difficult decision of whether he could afford to launch this new venture. 

“Without external support, the project would have been impossible to implement”

Ivan Yatsko’s initiative has received significant support from the local community, including Synevyr’s head, Ivan Chup, and Mariana Misyk, the project manager at the Entrepreneurship Support Center. Together, they explored funding options and sought financial resources to bring the idea to life—starting with the purchase of sheep.

“As a matter of fact, we specifically needed Carpathian sheep, as this active, hardy, and almost wild breed is ideal for the region. They can only be milked by hand,” Ivan explains.

Ivan purchased 52 sheep, costing 520,000 hryvnias. The state reimbursed 79% of this cost (410,000 hryvnias) as part of a regional program aimed at supporting livestock and crop production. In addition, Ivan personally financed the purchase of hay and feed for the winter.

“I had planned everything, but since this was my first experience, there were some unforeseen challenges,” Ivan reflects. “For example, I prepared enough hay for the winter, but by January, it was all gone. It was a harsh winter, with heavy snowfalls, and I had to travel to surrounding villages in blizzards to buy more hay and transport it to the mountains for the sheep.”

Today, Ivan employs four shepherds who care for the sheep in the meadow. He himself visits the site every day, to bring fresh cheese to the store. Often, he has to carry 20-kilogram bags of cheese from the mountain to the valley on his back—because the product can’t wait.

In July, with the financial support of international donors, the Vivcharsky Khutir tasting room opened in Synevyrska Polyana. Now, visitors can sample Polonynskyi cheese and purchase other eco-friendly products from local artisans, including herbal teas, woolen goods, honey from the Kolochava Apiary, and more.

Mariana Misyk has been by Ivan’s side throughout the entire process of securing funding, helping him apply for grants and navigate government support programs. She emphasizes how crucial external support is for those embarking on new ventures. Ivan agrees:

“It’s incredibly important to have someone to turn to for help in critical moments—someone who can help you refine an idea and find the funding to make it happen. I couldn’t have done it alone.”

The community admits that it is too early to talk about the profitability of the project.

“The main goal is to preserve the traditions and unique crafts of the highlanders,” says Mariana. “Ivan has invested a lot of his own resources, and we’re actively searching for additional funding to purchase equipment and promote the products. Even something as simple as buying a refrigerator requires over one hundred thousand hryvnias! But we know that all of these efforts are an investment in the future of our community and serve as a stepping stone for other similar projects.”

She adds that that it is now important to explain to tourists why they should buy this jar of cheese, which costs more than supermarket varieties. “We’re not just selling cheese—we’re showcasing an ancient tradition.”

At Vivcharskyi Khutir, visitors can sample and purchase four types of traditional cheeses: budz, smoked budz, vurda, and bryndza.

These cheeses are made from the milk of sheep that graze in the highlands, among the grasses of Synevyr National Park, located 1,200 meters above sea level.

Ivan Yatsko is currently involved in three projects. These include the Vivcharskyi Khutir ethnic center, which offers a place to taste and purchase local products, along with three small museums showcasing artifacts from the traditional life of highland shepherds; the eco-farm ‘Revival of Small Lambs,’ where the first generation of lambs, born from purchased sheep, is being raised; and, of course, the sheep grazing in the meadow, which tourists can visit to learn about traditional farming practices.

In total, over the past two and a half years, the Synevyr community has successfully raised nearly 2 million hryvnias from various donors to support these business ventures under the Synevyr ECO brand. An almost equal amount has been raised for the development of the social sphere.

A Challenge for Everyone: How to Develop a Mountainous Community?

The budget of the Synevyr community is approximately UAH 70 million, with 75% of its revenue coming from state subsidies and transfers, while taxes contribute only 23%.

According to community head Ivan Chup, when the Synevyr community was first established in 2020, there was a significant risk that it would be deemed insolvent, as the community had accumulated nearly 5 million hryvnias in debt. To resolve this, the new leadership had to take difficult and unpopular measures, but with time, the deficit was overcome.

“The question of how mountainous communities can fill their budgets remains a challenge for everyone,” says Pavlo Lohvinov, head of the U-LEAD with Europe Regional Office in Zakarpattia region. “It is unprofitable for investors to come here because they must pay an additional 25% on ‘mountainous’ salaries. It would be beneficial if there were a mechanism to offset these costs for entrepreneurs who offer jobs. Unfortunately, that doesn’t exist yet, so we’re exploring other ways to strengthen the community’s capacity, like fostering entrepreneurship among local residents.”

Ivan Chup agrees with Lohvinov. He believes that it is crucial to preserve the traditions and skills that people have built up over generations.

“We are looking for ways to develop the community while preserving the heritage passed down by our grandparents and great-grandparents,” says Ivan. “That’s why we’re focusing on developing tourism and motivating local residents to start their own businesses.”

In 2021, with the support of U-LEAD with Europe, the Synevyr community established an Entrepreneurship Support Center, a place where any resident can receive advice, promotional support, and help finding investors or support while collaborating with them. The first major initiative of the Center is the Synevyr-Eco brand, which aims to unite local producers of eco-friendly, craft products and help them start or grow their businesses. A key goal of the Center is to help local entrepreneurs formalize their activities, ensuring they are protected and profitable for the community.

At present, the community is already producing natural herbal teas, developing sheep farming, and introducing tourists to the region’s rich cultural and traditional heritage. All of this is done to develop sustainable tourism, which balances environmental, social, and economic factors to ensure that the region’s growth benefits local residents, tourists, and industry representatives alike.

“We are interested in ensuring that tourists do not just come to see the lake, but stay with us and purchase more goods and services. Because, roughly speaking, if people come to see the lake, they pay an entrance fee, buy a souvenir, and that’s it. There’s no long-term benefit for the community. So, I asked myself: where can tourists go next? What else can they buy or see? That’s when we decided to start developing these other opportunities,” says Ivan Chup, head of the community.

Community and National Park: A Productive Partnership

Mykola Derbak, Director of Synevyr National Park, believes that eco-tourism is the future of the community.

“It’s wonderful that sheep farming is being revived here. We’d be thrilled if the number of sheep increased. In the past, up to 5,000 sheep grazed here, and that’s a number we could safely return to without harming nature. The same goes for collecting herbs for tea, as long as it’s done in the appropriate zones,” says Derbak. “Look at how the village of Synevyrska Polyana is developing. The people are creating all the right conditions for tourists, and they are starting to come in greater numbers.”

Derbak is confident that the region’s unique natural landscapes—beech virgin forests and a high-mountain lake—are an advantage that no other community can match. And this must be appreciated.

The national park is also working to improve its services by limiting vehicle access to certain areas, while ensuring that the area around the lake is more accessible to people with limited mobility. Additionally, efforts are underway to improve the conditions for animal protection at the Brown Bear Rehabilitation Center.

It’s important to note that not all of the national park’s territory is off-limits for locals and tourists. About 21% of the park’s land (7,390 hectares) is designated as an economic zone. This area allows for regulated economic activity aimed at fulfilling the tasks assigned to the park, and includes settlements and lands belonging to other land users and landowners.

This year, Synevyr National Park has seen a notable uptick in visitors, reversing the sharp decline of 2022. This shift reflects a growing trend where people are opting to spend their vacations away from large, commercialized resorts. Instead, they are drawn to the quiet tranquility of the Carpathian forests, where they can reconnect with nature—gathering herbs or mushrooms, and enjoying home-cooked meals made by local hostesses. There is a clear demand for artisanal, non-mass-produced products, and the key is to use these resources wisely and sustainably.

Moreover, one can notice that nearly half of the community’s tax revenues come from taxes paid by Synevyr National Park. This demonstrates that having a national park within the community and developing it preserving its natural uniqueness is beneficial.

The Future of the Community: Key Areas of Focus

“If we are truly committed to preserving the authenticity and traditions of our mountain community, it must be reflected in our actions, not just words,” says the head of the community. “We used to hold a festival called ‘Sending the Sheep to the Meadow,’ and it was wonderful to see such a traditional craft being celebrated in the Carpathians. But over time, the number of sheep in our community dwindled to the point where there were only a few dozen, and sheep had to be brought in from other areas just for the festival. Now, we want to build our community’s eco-brand and promote its heritage. Ivan’s example will inspire other local entrepreneurs to develop their small businesses, which in turn will help grow the community.”

Finally, the Synevyr community also faces the challenge of the development of youth potential, as the issue of emigration has become more pressing than ever. “Who will stay to work and develop the community?” asks Ivan Chup. In response, last year the community opened a modern playground and youth hub a well as restored a local music school in Synevyr.

“We’re in a situation where, even if we wanted to organize a festival like ‘Sending the Sheep to the Meadow,’ we wouldn’t have enough local musicians to perform,” Ivan continues. “The local hudaky are no longer around, and Verkhovyna has always been a region rich in musical talent. This is something we need to develop further too.”

Today, Synevyr is the only community participating in the RURACTIVE: Actions for Change in Local Communities project, implemented by the NGO FORZA in Ukraine.

According to Natalka Voloshyna, project manager at NGO FORZA, the choice to include Synevyr was no accident—the community is rapidly developing and shows great potential for growth. The project aims to activate local residents and explore ways to develop rural areas collectively. Synevyr’s experience and strategies will be shared with other rural areas across Europe.

The example of the Synevyr community stands as a model of a mountainous rural community striving to attract both state and international support, developing the village on the principles of sustainability and sets a positive example for others.

Local leaders face a critical dilemma: how to develop a community in ways that offer local residents opportunities for a better life, while also protecting the natural environment. This is also the challenge faced in areas like Svydovets, as explored in our previous report from Chorna Tysa.

Halyna Hychka, Varosh

Photo: Natalka Pavlyk

*This material has been prepared within the framework of the Dutch-Slovak-Ukrainian project “Strengthening the Rule of Law at the Local/Regional Level in Ukraine: The Case of Zakarpattia Oblast,” supported by the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands under the MATRA program, a leading Dutch initiative for social transformation support.

The project is being implemented by the Institute for Central European Strategy (ICES) in collaboration with the Dutch organization Foundation of Justice, Integrity and Anti-Corruption (FJIAC) and Transparency International Slovensko (TI SK), in partnership with the Zakarpattia Regional State Administration and the Regional Council.

*** The content of this material does not reflect the official position or opinions of the project’s implementers or donors. The sole responsibility for the content of the publications lies with the editorial team of Varosh.