The Town of Weston officially launched the sister city project on June 28, 2023

 

Ukraine Steering Committee Launch 06-2023

 

 

Read about the event in Weston Today

See us on News12

 

About Siversk

Siversk is a small city in the Bakhmut region of Ukraine, located 62 miles north of Donetsk. The city was founded in 1784 as a mining town and named after the nearby River Siverskyi.  Much like Weston, prior to the war, Siversk was a family friendly town, with a little more than 10,000 residents in a bucolic  setting.In July 2022, the city became the site of a battle between forces from Russia and the breakaway DPR and LPR against Ukrainian forces. Due to the 2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive, Russian forces were unable to make further gains in the city and withdrew from Siversk on September 8, 2022.

Despite this victory, Siversk remains close to the front line and the war has left a devastating impact on the town. For the last two years, Siversk, has not had any gas or electricity. Internet and cell phone connectivity is limited. Flattened by shelling, only one of their three schools remain and the college where students learned farming and how to operate agricultural machinery was destroyed. “A little piece of American heart will make the Ukrainian heart even bigger than it is now,” said the Mayor of Siversk, Alexey Vorobiev.

Because of Mayor Vorobiev’s heroic efforts, there are virtually no children left in Siversk. He brought close to 100 children to the Karpathian mountains for safe refuge and is looking to bring the children to Romania, as well as to the United States.

Despite adversity, Mayor Vorobiev continues to ensure that the basic needs of the remaining population are met. Vorobiev arranges for food to be delivered to citizens weekly and ensure that hygiene products are delivered each month. Additionally, the government provided generators for each household and continues to pay monthly salaries to communal workers. According to Ukraine Aid International, Inc., the Kharkiv Counteroffensive has left the town of Siversk with little resources. 

How to Help

The Town of Weston is stepping up through its partnership program to raise funds to provide the necessary relief for those remaining in the town.

In the Phase 1 of the fundraising project, Siversk is in immediate need of the following items:

  • Trash Truck to restore hygiene and prevent disease during the summer heat
  • 2 x Armored Vehicles for Evacuating Civilians from the frontlines
  • 2 x Washing Machines to create communal laundry]
  • Water Filtration systems
Sister City Program

The Town of Weston has created a steering community, chaired by Iryna Kolzina, to educate
Westonites about the needs in Siversk.  “Weston - Siversk Sister-City Partnership is nothing but a pure act of Kindness, “ Kolzina said.  “There is a Ukrainian idiom - “Dobro zavzhdy peremahaye zlo"; which means Kindness always triumphs over evil. So, this partnership brings us closer to the victory that all Ukrainians are praying for every day! And one Ukrainian town, among many others, which lost most of its population due to the war, will be alive because we will be supporting Siversk during these hard times, and one day people will come back to live there happily ever after.” 

The Weston sister city program is coordinated under the auspices of Ukraine Aid International as part of a regional effort that includes sister city programs with the towns of Easton and Westport.  Ukraine Aid International, Inc. is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.  Contributions to Ukraine Aid International are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.  For more information please contact Iryna Kolzina akolzina29@gmail.com or Allyson Hupka at allyson@ukraineaidinternational.org  

Sister city logoseversk-zoom 2023-05-12

Weston First Selectwoman Sam Nestor and Siversk, Ukraine Mayor Alexi Vorobyov held a virtual meeting on May 12 with Ukraine Aid International to establish a Sister City Partnership program.

Additional Resources

 

 

 

May 12, 2023 Town Hall Happenings: 

Post Date:05/12/2023 5:27 PM 

Opening Note 
For those who read Town Hall Happenings regularly, you will know I always end each email “with gratitude.” Today I am starting by appreciating our amazing community and expressing my gratitude for being blessed to live in our safe and peaceful town. This morning, I spoke to Alexei Vorobyov, Mayor of Seversk, a small town very similar to ours in Eastern Ukraine, right on the front lines of the war. This dialog is the start to a program also adopted by my colleagues in Westport, Easton, Stamford and Greenwich, titled the “Sister City Partnership.” The conversation this morning was both heartbreaking and inspiring. We are in the early stages of the relationship between me and Mayor Vorobyov, which is focusses on friendship and cultural exchange. The other aspect of the Sister City program is a private partnership where our community supports theirs. The first task is building a committee of Westonites who will help to fund needed items. We are delighted that Iryna Akolzina, who has been spearheading our efforts to support Ukraine since the beginning of the war, has agreed to be the Chairwoman of our sister city partnership. Over the coming days and weeks we will post links to fundraising efforts, programs and activities. Weston is a caring, loving and generous community with their hearts and their time. I am so pleased that we have an opportunity to support these brave people who have endured so much. We can make a meaningful difference in this war torn town and show them what Weston Strong is really about. If you would like more information about the sister city programs or would like to volunteer to help with the committee, please email me at snestor@westonct.gov.