From December 14 to 20, 2025, a study visit of the Deputy Mayor - Head of the Executive Committee, Lyudmila Makarenko, to the Republic of Poland took place as part of the course "Strengthening the Capacity of Regional Policy of Ukraine with the Support of Poland", aimed at strengthening the professional capabilities of public servants at the regional and local levels, familiarization with approaches to effective project management, exchange of experience in the field of regional policy, practices of using EU structural funds, and modern methods of strategic planning.
The work program included visits to municipalities in cities such as Warsaw, Katowice, Bielsko-Biała, Butom and Krakow, and also included working meetings at the European Commission Representation, the European Parliament Office, the Ministry of Development, Funds and Regional Policy of Poland, as well as familiarization with the practices of implementing the Fair Distribution Fund and Revitalization of Industrial Areas in the Silesian Voivodeship.
Particular attention was paid to examples of successful transformation - from the creation of the Krakow Technology Park to the revitalization of former mines in Bielsko-Biała, which today function as modern sports and educational spaces. These cases demonstrate that European funds are a tool for community development, provided there is a strategic vision, desire and initiative of professional teams and the mandatory consideration of the needs and wishes of residents.
Based on the results of her study visit to Poland, Lyudmila Makarenko noted:
– This trip gave me a clear understanding that successful communities develop through partnerships between government, business, education, and the public sector. A trip to Poland as part of this project was a profound professional and personal experience for me. In one week, I saw how abandoned mines are transformed into centers of community power, how technology parks give birth to new businesses, and European funds work only where there is responsibility and strategy. The most important lesson is that success does not come to those who simply ask for funds. It comes to those who have a vision, are ready to invest in people, teams, and partnerships. This is how Poland has gone through the path of transformation, and this path is open to Ukraine today. I clearly understand: our priorities are training, development of project teams, and cooperation. Because capable communities are the basis for the country's recovery. We are ready to learn, work, and win. For the sake of our people. For the sake of a strong community. For the sake of Ukraine!
Thank you very much for the opportunity to gain such valuable experience to the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, the Ministry of Development, Funds and Regional Policy of Poland, the Representation of the European Commission in Poland and all the Polish communities that presented their work, for their sincerity, for their openness in presenting their experience and for their support to the people of Ukraine!