Sumy Region

Sumy region is situated in the North East of Ukraine and is adjacent on the North and East to the Russian Federation region of Bryansk, Kursk and Belgorod.

The region shares a national border with Russia that is 498 kilometers in length. On this border, there are three customs check points for railroad transport (Volfino, Pushcarnoe and Zernovo) and five automobile check points (Bachevsk, Katherinovka, Ryzhevka, Yunakovka and Velyka Pysarivka).

From the South, South East and West, Sumy region borders upon the Kharkiv, Poltava and Chernigiv regions of Ukraine. The distance from Sumy to Ukraine's capital city, Kyiv, is 350 kilometres away by train and 359 kilometres away by the most efficient road connection.

The total geographic area of the region equals 23,880 square kilometers.

The topographic nature of the region and the availability of large tracts of undeveloped land-space allow it to expeditiously and effectively deal with any development proposal, no matter what it needs for immediate use and growth potential.

Sumy region belongs to the Dnipro river basin and its hydrographic network is relatively dense, one kilometer of river per five square kilometers of land area. The total length of rivers in Sumy region is 5,400 kilometers. In addition, there are 33 large lakes and more than 1600 ponds and water storage impoundment with a total amount of almost 130 million cubic meters of water capacity. The surface water area of Sumy region comprises 4.7 percent of the total inland surface water of whole Ukraine. Because of the large water capacity and the lack of pollutants in Sumy waters, it is possible to meet both the potable water needs of the region's population while also providing an almost inexhaustible supply of water for industrial processing and other needs.

The region's forest area totals some what 448,500 hectares. There is enough soil and weather diversity in the region so that there are wide variations in the available forest products types ranging from products suitable for paper producing all the way to the hardwoods for furniture making and other similar needs. Thus, furniture manufacturers with an interest in development in this region would find that they could meet almost all of their forest product needs within the region itself with minimum haulage costs.

Within the region's system of land reservation, there are 182 reserved places and objects totaling about 156,000 hectares. This includes national nature parks, monument parks, and some limited areas specifically reserved because of the nature of rare trees within their confines. The entire reserved and protected forest areas total about 6.5 percent of total region land area.

In a number of cases, the implementation of projects that might have led to further ecological degradation has been avoided by concerted actions of the population and the government. The positive nature of the region ecological situation is demonstrated by the following.

The region has available 294 deposits containing 21 different kinds of mineral deposits that are considered to be sufficient for economically feasible exploitation. The most promising among those natural and mineral resources are crude oil, natural gas, oil mining by-product and peat. There are 21 deposits of crude oil that are believed to hold 34 million tons of crude oil recoverable in an efficient and profitable fashion (representing almost a quarter of all reserves of Ukraine), 18 deposits of natural gas (the reserves exceed 72 billion m3), 17 deposits of oil mining by-product (comprising 35 percent of the nation-wide availability), and 111 deposits of peat with reserves of almost 55 million tons. Also, the region has substantial non-metallic mineral resources: phosphates, immovable and potash salts, brimstone, quartz, Cretaceous, gypsum, chalkstones, marl, glass spigot products, refractory and high-melting clays, mineral paints, building spigot products and rock.

The labour force consists of about 820,000 persons, about two-thirds of the entire population, however total employment is just 627,000 persons working in all spheres of economic activities. This includes 21 percent in industries, 31 percent in agriculture and forestry, 8 percent in education, culture and the arts, 5 percent in trade, transport and communications, and 4 percent in the building trades. About 70 percent of all people work in collective and private fields of economy.

INDUSTRIES

Sumy region has advanced industrial potential.

The industry is a leading sphere of regional economy. Here is annually created almost half of gross added cost, 30% of working people are engaged there. About 40% of petroleum (from total amount in Ukraine) produced in region, including a gas condensate, and 7% of gas, about 30% of a sulphuric acid, 6% of pumps centrifugal, 12% of footwear, 5,5% of utensils porcelain.

Positive changes in Sumy region have been observing for last four years. For 1999-2002 years volume of industrial manufacture has increased almost by 17%, or on the average till 4% annually.

In structure of an industrial production mineral industry is for 29%, about 65% production of a manufacturing industry, in it 27,1% – mechanical engineering, 22,6% a food-processing industry and processing of agricultural products, 9,6 a% – chemical and petrochemical industry.

The enterprises of a non-state ownership are produced about 85% of production.

Innovative activities are developing. In an industry 66 new progressive processes are implemented. Quality of the goods considerably has raised. The high awards for production of the following joint-stock companies: "Shostka city dairy plant", "Konotopmyaso", "KraftFoodsUkraine", "Romny dairy plant", "Okhtyrka cheese plant" and "Gorobyna" Ltd have received.

"Progress-Invest" Ltd was created as a result of combining on corporate basis of a number of the food industry enterprises, where on the basis of modern technological equipment, modern information technologies, the realizations of innovative and investment projects, automation of productions and management, marketing research were achieved high results of financial and economic activities.

AGRICULTURE

Priority for Sumy region in plant growing is the following: grain, sugar beet, sunflower, potatoes. With the purpose of agricultural manufacture efficiency increasing a number of scientific companies exceeded. Ivanovskaya research station successfully works to improve the grades of a winter wheat. High-quality seeds of sugar beet are delivered to the customers of joint-stock company "Vorskla" (Trostyanets). Agricultural firm "Sumynasinnya" is well known in Ukraine and in Western Europe as the supplier of high-quality seeds for long-term grasses.

In livestock breeding the specialization is as following: breeding of large horned dairy and meat cattle, pigs.

At the present stage development of agrarian manufacture is impossible without functioning the ramified agrarian market. Therefore there are

• 1200 points on milk collection;
• 243 points on meat collection;
• 481 points on collection of vegetables, oil, sugar, grain;

In Sumy works agro industrial stock exchange.

SMALL BUSINESS

The formation of active business environment during last years assisted preservation of positive tendency of small and average business development in region.

Now in region work 5319 small enterprises. For the last three years their quantity has grown 1,8 times. For the same period the employment in sphere of small business has grown almost in 1,5 times, working places given up to 46,2 thousand persons.

3810 small enterprises or 71,6% from total are engaged in industrial activities. 9,8% in total amount of manufacture revenues from small business, the share of allocations is 11,9%.

Description of economic activities Quantity of the enterprises,% Number of the workers, % Scope production (works, services)%
Industries 15,4 20,7 24,2
Construction 9,2 13,9 16,2
Trade and public catering 44,6 33,5 26,5
Transport and communication 3,2 4,7 6,3
Agriculture 9,5 9,5 10,2

FOREIGN & ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES

The ground of the balanced development of economy in Sumy region is a formation of a modern market infrastructure, creation of high developed and competitive industrial complex, activization of foreign trade.

The geography of foreign trade is very wide and comprises of 90 countries, where the basic part belongs to ten countries.

The most essential export deliveries are executed for Russian Federation, China, India, Turkmenistan, Germany, Belarus and Iran.

The greatest import revenues from Russian Federation, Turkmenistan, Germany, Belarus, Cote-d'-Ivoir, the United States of America, Switzerland, Ireland, the Netherlands.

Commodity structure of export and import
The commodity structure of foreign trade is based on regional industrial potential. Obvious is a prevalence of the agrarian sector.

The bases of export commodity are as follows: machines and equipment (56,5% of total amount), chemicals, vehicles and spare parts, livestock production, timber.

The most shares of total amount of import are the following: mineral products, food, machines and equipment, chemicals.

INFRASTRUCTURE OF REGION

Land market
In the region the following arrangements have been executed:

• further deepening of reforming of the land relations;
• Implementation of the Land Code of Ukraine; 
• Improvement of the new forms of managing on land;
• Increasing of land use efficiency and protection.

It was used 220,8 thousand land shares (83%) on the area 841,6 thousand hectares on rent conditions; 155,2 thousand hectares of a stock and reserve fund, 6,9 thousand citizens used their own land shares independently.

The important place in provision of the population by food takes private country economy, horticulture. In 2002 to this purpose was used 154,1 thousand hectares of land.

The special attention is allocated on organizations of distribution of the state certificates to the proprietors of the land shares. The state certificates are issued for 186,8 thousand land shares (67,3%), and the further certification is in process to cover 82,3 thousand land shares.

Transport
The region has the advanced transport system. It is crossed with an interstate highway Kiev-Moscow. The major railways: Kiev-Moscow, Kiev-Kharkov, Dnipropetrovsk-St.-Petersburg.

The large railway junctions: Konotop, Vorozhba, Smorodino. Operational length of railway makes 920 km, highways does about 7,3 thousand km. There is a regional airport in Sumy.

The following gas pipelines cross the territory of region: Urengoy – Pomary – Uzhorod, Yelets – Kursk – Sumy – Dykanka, Kursk – Sumy – Kiev, Sumy – Konotop, Belsk – Sumy, Kiev – Bryansk, and oil pipelines: Michurinsk – Kremenchug, Malaya Pavlovka – Okhtyrka.

Telecommunication systems
Four operators work in the regional market of a telecommunication; the major of them is Sumy branch of JSC "Ukrtelekom". About 500 telephone stations, 24% of which are digital work since in region work, that provide the extended services to the customers using their technical parameters.

The cellular communication is provided by two operators: JV "UMC" and CJSC "Kyivstar GSM".

The share of electronic mass media in information space is increasing. There are 33 companies and organization having the licence to broadcast. Two of them: Regional State Television Company and Radio Company "Vidikon" cover practically all population of Sumy region.

The volumes of computer communication through international information network ІNTERNET grow.

FINANCE AND CREDIT SYSTEM

The important role in activization of investment activities belongs to the bank system.

Today the bank system in region is presented by 43 branches (19 of regional level and 24 subordinated). The majority of commercial banks, which the main offices are in Kiev, Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk and Lutsk have sufficient resource base for realization of crediting.

Major banks of region: branch of National bank of Ukraine, branches: "Ukrsotsbank", JCB "Pravexbank", joint-stock company "Ukrinbank", JB "Kreditbank", JSC Bank "Big-energy", central branch of "Prominvestbank", JCB "Nadra", CB "Privatbank", regional department of joint-stock postal & pension bank "Aval", regional department of state savings bank of Ukraine, branch of " Microfinancial bank "CB "Volodymyrskyi" Ltd has begun working on January 2003. The bank develops as an universal banking establishment, which carries out a complete scope of bank services.

TOURISM

Sumy region is a treasury of historical and cultural monuments. It is one of the most saturated historical and cultural heritages of Ukraine. Tourist potential is inexhaustible. Sumy region borders with so called "Wild Field", where the culture of many peoples and epoch from times Kiev Rus` was synthesized.

The history of Putivl, Glukhov, Romny follows from depth of years, which enrolled in the list of major historical cities of Ukraine. The above cities have huge unused historical and cultural potential for tourism development. They are a part of tourist route "A Necklace of Slavutych".

Indoubtedly, the unforgettable impressions stay after visiting Glukhov – one of most ancient cities of Ukraine, which dated back to 1152. It is former capital of Getmans Ukraine, native land of the outstanding figures.
The unlimited recreational opportunities of Sumy region, including ecological purity, will satisfy any tastes of the tourists.

EDUCATION

Technical training
After termination of comprehensive schools the schoolchildren continue training in Technical colleges and special educational establishments. In region there are 35 Technical colleges, in which 16,3 thousand schoolchildren have studies.
       
High education
In the Sumy region there are the following high schools: four universities (Sumy National Agrarian University, Sumy State University, Sumy Pedagogical University, Glukhov State Pedagogical University) and Ukrainian Academy of Banking.

Concerning qualitative structure of the teachers: there are 134 Doctors of Sciences and 745 Candidates of Sciences.

High schools cooperate with high schools of Austria, Germany, and Great Britain. The universities of Germany consider projects on the framework agreements about the international cooperation in the field of education and science.

PHYSICAL CULTURE AND SPORTS

The advanced material base assists on development of physical culture and sports movement in Sumy region. It was constructed Stadium "Yuvileynyi" on 25 thousand places that meets the requirements of UEFA; the modern arena of the Ukrainian Academy of Banking was put into operation; it was reconstructed a ski base of Olympic preparation "Dynamo".

Almost 1,5 thousand enterprises, educational institutions, and organizations in Sumy region carry out the physical training. Over 163,9 thousand people are the active participants, that makes 12,4% of the population of region.

CULTURE AND LEISURE

Sumy region – is the area of high traditional culture of the Ukrainian people. This is a tradition to arrange in Sumy region the international musical festivals, village festival of arts, competition on the best performance of songs about a village, festival of children and youth cinema "Crystal Sources", literary & art festivals.

The basic activities in region are provided by 2 theatres (Theatre of Drama and Musical Comedy named after Schepkin, Regional Theatre for children and youth), Regional Philharmonic Society, 674 clubs and 615 libraries, 35 musical schools, 11 state museums, School of Art and Culture named after Bortnyanskyi, Regional Centre of National Creativity.

ADMINISTRATION OF THE SUMY REGION

Address: 2, Nezalezhnosti Sq., Sumy, 40030, Ukraine
Phone: +38 (0542) 22-22-63, 21-09-80
E-mail: mail@state-gov.sumy.ua
WWW: http://www.state-gov.sumy.ua/