The creative competition was announced in early October by the Department of Family and Youth of Drohobych City Council. According to the head of the department, Oleksandra Pashko, the aim of the project “Saltworks – the Heart of Drohobych” is to draw attention to the oldest enterprise in Ukraine and Europe and to keep the saltworks in the ownership of the community. The State Property Fund has recently added the integral property complex “Drohobych Saltworks” to the list of objects to be privatised. The company is being put up for sale.
The position of the city authorities and all conscious residents is categorical: the saltworks should be kept exclusively in the ownership of the community and passed on to future generations. It is the heart and soul of the city.
The talented children of Drohobych were inspired by the creative idea of the competition and created several dozen professional paintings and wrote essays about the uniqueness of the saltworks and its importance for the city. As a result, 75 drawings and 7 paintings were submitted to the competition. For a long time, all the works were exhibited in the city council building. Then, on 7 November, all the participants were awarded in the session hall of the town hall.
As Oleksandra Pashko noted, it was decided not to award prizes for participation in the competition, but to recognise all project participants. The mayor of Drohobych, Taras Kuchma, was invited to award the gifted children and thanked the young Drohobych residents, as well as their parents and teachers, for their initiative, creativity and indifference.
“All the works and artworks we received are wonderful. They are full of your warmth, energy and creativity. Each work shows interest in the problem of the city’s saltworks and admiration for the oldest enterprise in our region. Our goal is not just to keep the saltworks in the city’s ownership, but to pass it on to you, and you to the next generations. After all, the saltworks is the soul of Drohobych and the city’s long-standing salt authenticity, our tourist magnet and history,” Taras Kuchma reiterated, .
All participants of the creative project received memorable gifts. The age of the contestants was very diverse: from primary school students to high school students.
At the end of the event, the participants took a joint photo in the city hall.
To keep the saltworks in community ownership, Drohobych registered a petition with the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine calling for the transfer of the saltworks to community ownership. Signatures are being collected. Anyone who cares can support the petition by going to https://petition.kmu.gov.ua/petitions/7339 and voting.