The Ukrainian city of Chernihiv is located in the Dnipro lowlands on the high right bank of the River Desna in the Ukraine-Russia-Belarus border triangle. It is the capital of the Chernihiv region and the capital of the Chernihiv oblast, a railroad and highway junction, with a port and an airport. Chernihiv is one of the oldest cities in Ukraine, with the first written mention dating back to 907 AD.
Khrystyna Lishchynska
Aachen and Chernihiv: Solidarity partnership agreement signed
Solidarity knows no borders. During the Charlemagne Prize LIVE evening program on 13 May 2023, Aachen's Lord Mayor Sibylle Keupen signed a solidarity partnership agreement between the two cities with her counterpart from the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, Alexander Lomako.
© City of Aachen / Peter Klingel
Chernihiv was largely destroyed in the first months of the Russian war of aggression. Reconstruction has now begun. The inhabitants are full of enthusiasm to rebuild their home - the progress is visible.
"We plan not only to rebuild the city, but to modernize it," explained Alexander Lomako at the signing of the contract in May 2023. "We are happy to be able to draw on the expertise from Aachen."
The two cities are not only linked by their university environment, a rich urban history and a similar population. The mutual exchange will focus on topics such as energy, infrastructure, waste management, urban planning, education and culture. Chernihiv would like to see an exchange of experiences, particularly on sustainability issues.
Resolution of the City Council
At its meeting on December 14, 2022, the Aachen City Council unanimously decided to establish a solidarity partnership. The decision was preceded by an online meeting with those responsible from Chernihiv, in which the consequences of the war for the municipality were described, but also the aspiration to rebuild Chernihiv as a sustainable city was formulated.
Previously, representatives of the German-Ukrainian community in Aachen had approached Lord Mayor Sibylle Keupen with the wish to initiate a partnership with a city from Ukraine. The Aachen City Council then commissioned the administration to draw up a solidarity partnership and an agreement with the municipality of Chernihiv. Both municipalities drafted a corresponding agreement on this basis.
Since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, the city of Aachen has been very actively involved in advising, supporting and accommodating refugees from Ukraine. Solidarity, commitment and support from civil society have also been enormous since the beginning of the war. The large Ukrainian community in Aachen is an important pillar of this. The association Ukrainer in Aachen e. V. supports the partnership between the two cities as an association.