Gmina Tarnowo Podgórne
Partnership between Kamianets-Podilskyi and the Gmina of Tarnowo Podgórne (Poland) is one of the areas of international cooperation of the Kamianets-Podilskyi community. Relations between the two sides gradually developed from initial contacts and exchange of experience into official partnership between the local self-government authorities. Contacts in the fields of education, youth cooperation, and direct meetings between representatives of the two communities played an important role in this process.
The first contacts between the communities were established, in particular, through cooperation between educational institutions. Subsequent meetings between representatives of Kamianets-Podilskyi and Tarnowo Podgórne, including during international events in Lithuania and Latvia, contributed to strengthening mutual understanding and created the basis for the subsequent formalization of the partnership.
Formalization of the Partnership
An important milestone was the signing of a Letter of Intent on 21 May 2016 in Kamianets-Podilskyi. The subsequent development of relations between the two communities led to the conclusion of a formal Partnership Agreement on 9 June 2018 in Tarnowo Podgórne.
Children’s and Youth Exchanges
One of the key areas of cooperation has been the organization of holidays for Ukrainian children in Tarnowo Podgórne. Since 2014, around 50 children and their accompanying adults have visited the gmina each year. In 2016, 45 children of Anti-Terrorist Operation participants spent two weeks there, taking part in excursions, visiting museums, a zoo and a water park, and participating in various activities.
In 2019, the City Council reported that 45 children had already visited Tarnowo Podgórne for the sixth time. Following the beginning of the full-scale war, this area of cooperation gained particular importance. In 2026, children from eligible groups once again travelled to the Polish community, where a programme of recreation, excursions and cultural and educational activities was organized for them.
Thus, children’s exchanges remain a sustained area of the partnership, contributing to support for children, youth contacts, and the strengthening of ties between the two communities.
Current Stage of Cooperation
Today, the partnership between Kamianets-Podilskyi and the Gmina of Tarnowo Podgórne continues to develop primarily through children’s and youth exchanges, cultural contacts, mutual visits, and direct interaction between representatives of the two communities. In May 2026, a delegation from Tarnowo Podgórne visited Kamianets-Podilskyi during the City Day celebrations, together with representatives of other European partner communities.
The partnership between Kamianets-Podilskyi and the Gmina of Tarnowo Podgórne developed as a result of the gradual establishment of contacts between the two communities and subsequently acquired an official status. The cooperation covers the educational, cultural, youth, and social spheres, with regular children’s exchanges and joint activities playing a particularly important role.
Long-standing contacts between the two communities have created a solid foundation for the further development of the partnership, maintaining mutual ties, and implementing new joint initiatives. Current cooperation demonstrates the continuation of an active dialogue and the importance of Polish-Ukrainian partnership at the local community level.