Ukrainian Town Capitalizes on Rich Cultural Heritage
Craftswomen in Zhytomyr examine local embroidering techniques.
Employment opportunities are often limited in rural Ukraine, but Zhytomyr—a small town in the western part of the country—is expanding its local job market by drawing on rich artisanal traditions that trace back to the Middle Ages.
The Women’s Informative Center, a local non-profit organization, is helping local craftspeople start their own craft businesses. With support from Eurasia Foundation in Ukraine and OSCE, the Center provided training on traditional arts and crafts techniques, running a business and marketing their own products. Recently, the Women’s Informative Center concluded their year-long project with an international crafts conference featuring local examples of embroidery, weaving and decorations made from wicker, wood, stained-glass and forged-iron. During the conference, the Center announced the formation of a new nongovernmental organization, Ukrainsky Dim (Ukrainian House), which will continue the Center’s work supporting local craftspeople by launching a pilot training and development program in cooperation with state-run vocational training centers.
Support of the Women’s Informative Center was part of EF’s Local Economic Development (LEAD) program, which promotes development and the creation of new jobs in the rural areas of Ukraine. Since 2004, nearly 2,000 new jobs and businesses have been created with the financial support USAID and OSCE, who have invested over $500,000 in the LEAD program.
