Zawiercie
Cooperation between Kamianets-Podilskyi and the Polish city of Zawiercie is one of the long-standing partnerships between the Kamianets-Podilskyi City Community and Polish cities. It is based on the twinning relations established on 17 March 2007 and has developed over the following years in the fields of culture, education, youth policy, tourism, sports, and intermunicipal exchange.
The Beginning of the Partnership and the First Exchanges
The first practical contacts between the cities developed actively around youth and educational cooperation. In 2007, as part of the Polish-Ukrainian Youth Exchange Programme “PUWM – Zawiercie – Kamieniec Podolski”, a youth exchange took place between Gymnasium No. 1 in Zawiercie and representatives of Kamianets-Podilskyi. The programme involved 40 Polish and 40 Ukrainian schoolchildren.
An important aspect of these meetings was providing young people with an opportunity to learn directly about the history, culture, and traditions of the two countries. During one of the first exchanges, Ukrainian young people visited Zawiercie, educational institutions, museums, historical and tourist sites in the region, and also took part in sports, artistic, culinary, and folklore activities. Polish and Ukrainian young people prepared presentations together and learned about each other’s traditions.
Partnership in 2024
An important stage in the recent development of relations was 2024. During the Days of Zawiercie, the city hosted delegations from its international partner cities, including a delegation from Kamianets-Podilskyi led by Mayor Mykhailo Positko.
As part of the visit, representatives of the two cities visited tourist attractions in the region, including the underground museum in Olkusz and the Błędów Desert. In addition to the cultural and tourist programme, meetings were held with representatives of the local authorities, during which they discussed further cooperation in the fields of education, culture, and sports, as well as opportunities for implementing joint projects.
Cooperation in 2025
In 2025, the partnership between Kamianets-Podilskyi and Zawiercie continued to develop through maintaining direct contacts between the two communities and preparing new joint initiatives. Zawiercie officially lists Kamianets-Podilskyi among its partner cities, while the partnership between the two communities has been ongoing since 2007.
During this period, particular attention was focused on developing youth and cultural cooperation, exchanging experience, and expanding contacts between representatives of the two communities.
A New Stage of Cooperation in 2026
A particularly important step in the development of the partnership was the official visit of a delegation from the Kamianets-Podilskyi City Community to Zawiercie in 2026. The visit focused on strengthening intermunicipal cooperation, exchanging management experience, and identifying new areas for joint activities.
One of the key areas of cooperation was the study of Polish experience in the revitalisation of industrial heritage. The Ukrainian delegation familiarised itself with practices of transforming former industrial sites into modern tourist destinations, including a visit to the Guido Mine and the Coal Mining Museum. The experience gained is considered valuable for the further development of Kamianets-Podilskyi’s tourism infrastructure and the effective use of its historical and industrial heritage.
Children’s Summer Camp in Zawiercie
From August 2 to August 8, 2026, a summer camp for children from the Kamianets-Podilskyi hromada was organized as part of the partnership cooperation between Kamianets-Podilskyi and Zawiercie. Children from socially vulnerable categories participated in the program. During their stay in Poland, they enjoyed engaging leisure activities, recreation, a cultural and sports program, as well as the opportunity to interact with their Polish peers.
Hosting this camp served as a practical example of youth and social cooperation between the communities. The initiative contributed not only to the children's recreation but also to the development of intercultural communication, familiarity with Polish culture, and the strengthening of friendly ties between Kamianets-Podilskyi and Zawiercie.
For Kamianets-Podilskyi, the partnership with Zawiercie creates opportunities for exchanging experience in the fields of local development, tourism, and revitalisation, while for the Polish side, it provides an opportunity to deepen cultural and tourism ties with Ukraine.
Today, cooperation between the two communities is becoming more practical in nature. Key areas continue to include support for children and young people, cultural and sports exchanges, humanitarian cooperation, tourism, and the exchange of experience between representatives of the two communities.