Bridging Borders: Towcester and Zhydachiv Unite in Historic Town Twinning

Posted 1 week ago in Towcester Town Council

On April 14th, at its Town Council meeting, Towcester Town Mayor, Cllr Damian Reynolds, finalised the official town twinning with Zhydachiv, Ukraine. Present were families from Ukraine who have found refuge in our town, along with community representatives who have offered their support.

This twinning initiative was proposed at the end of 2023 by then-Mayor, Cllr David Tarbun, inspired by a Ukrainian family from Zhydachiv, near Lviv, who sought shelter in Towcester. Oleh Naida and his family, along with the broader Towcester community and supported by Tove Benefice, have been dedicated to delivering aid to the war-affected country. So far, local volunteers, including Oleh and Towcester resident Alex Donaldson, have transported over 20 vehicles, including six ambulances loaded with medical supplies, on the 1,350-mile journey from Towcester to Ukraine. 

David expressed at the time, “This is an emotional moment for the Tove Benefice team and our Ukrainian guests who have tirelessly worked to help their friends and family left behind in defence of their homeland. It is crucial that we continue to demonstrate our solidarity and support for them. What better way to do this than to initiate the first-ever twinning for our historic Roman town?” 

In January 2024, Oleh presented Towcester Town Council’s twinning proposal which was accepted by Zhydachiv Town Mayor, Volodymyr Levko. Following this, the official twinning document was prepared and recently signed by Mayor Levko when a safe opportunity arose. Then, after Cllr Reynolds signed the document, Oleh returned a signed copy to Zhydachiv, making the twinning of the two towns official.

Oleh & Alex witness the signing by Town Mayor, Cllr Reynolds                           Oleh, Alex, Cllr Reynolds and Cllr Tarbun with the Zhydachiv town flag