Gammalsvenskby/Zmijivka was founded by Swedes in 1782 and still today has strong connections and relations with Sweden. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Gammalsvenskby has been hit hard. The village was occupied in 2022 and has been in the front zone for a year and a half and is heavily bombed by Russia. Most of the inhabitants have fled to nearby villages, out of artillery range.
The association Svenskbyborna has formulated a project, where Cultural Heritage without Borders is a cooperative part, with the aim, through citizen dialogue, to create hope of being able to return to an attractive village to live and settle in. Parallel to this, the ambition is to urgently help the village’s residents to cope with the winter. The goal is to produce a local heritage management plan with a focus on heritage and rural development for Zmijivka/Gammalsvenskby. This is to complement the reconstruction plan that was drawn up for the entire county with the help of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is important to rebuild Gammalsvenskby with care for the heritage, partly for the identity of the residents, and partly for Gammalsvenskby as a visitor destination in the future. Heritage tourism will provide a great opportunity for income and new jobs in the village.
Another goal is to urgently help the internally displaced persons from the village to survive the winter of 2024-2025, with direct aid in direct dialogue with them. They need e.g. medicines, heating briquettes, power banks and power plants. A summer camp for the village’s children is also planned.