Remember last year when Chattanooga entered into a cooperative agreement with a war-torn Ukrainian town? Trostyanets Mayor Yuriy Bova sat down with City Editor Haley to discuss how Chattanooga has been offering support during the rebuilding process during a recent visit to the Scenic City.

Here's what he had to say, translated with the help of USAID HOVERLA Activity Interpreter Larysa Severianova.

This is just the damage in the town's Railway Station Square. | Photo via Trostyanets Mayor Yuriy Bova

Q: What has been the role of Chattanooga's community working group?

A: We started our joint operations although we are 8,000 kilometers apart. Firstly, Mayor Tim Kelly + Ellis Smith engaged a team of volunteer architects to help us develop the vision and concepts of facilities to be rebuilt. This is one of the most damaged cities in the region, and with international support, we've been rebuilding step by step.

Q: How has the rebuilding process been going?

A: We employ the "Build Back Better" principle in each facility. Our task is not to replicate the object as it used to be, because it could have been obsolete or not energy efficient. Each rebuilt facility must be safe, energy-efficient, and accessible.

The government of Ukraine supports us, our hospital and the two most damaged residential areas are being rebuilt by the government.

1,000 people are back to work [at the Mondelez factory], which means they are paying taxes, and this money spent goes to rebuilding. 95% of people have returned and all schools and hospital functions.

For context, Trostyanets' population was 21,000 before the Russian invasion.

Q: You mentioned the vision process, what have been key takeaways from this visit?

A: The goal of our visit is to study the Chattanooga experience, not only how to rebuild but how to develop. For example, how to develop parks, sports facilities, how to use the abandoned territories + plant new life in these territories. All the pieces of [Chattanooga] fit very well together.

Your "City in a Park" idea is a great mission to have. The city is very well promoted, it's everywhere — in the streets and every facility, there are magazines and city plans being promoted. Also, you are ahead of us in medical technologies.

Bova highlighted our hospitals' training on mass emergencies + the operations of our fire departments.

Current projects for rebuilding the town include facilities like this + more community-driven areas like a recreational complex. | Photo via Trostyanets Mayor Yuriy Bova

Q: What would you like Chattanoogans to know about your town?

A: It is very important to bring people back to their homes. Today, 8 million Ukrainian refugees are in different countries, and it's a tragedy for Ukraine. Each facility we rebuild encourages people to come back.

Q: How can our community continue to help?

A: We're facing a very difficult winter ahead of us. I thank [the city] for the initiative to create a website to collect donations for generators for Ukraine. We need to do anything possible to ensure uninterrupted functioning of our schools, hospitals, etc.