Hostomel marked its town day on 14 October. Residents were greeted by Serhii Smal, who heads the settlement military administration.

This was reported by the Hostomel settlement military administration.

The administration’s festive video shows Hostomel destroyed in 2022, its reconstruction, the Mriya aircraft and community celebrations.

For the whole of Ukraine, Hostomel has become much more than a dot on the map. It has become a symbol of heroic resistance, a place where the fate of our state was decided in the first days of the full-scale invasion, where the courage of Ukrainian defenders and the resilience of civilians went down in history.

Serhii Smalhead of the Hostomel settlement military administration

What Smal called the community’s task

Serhii Smal thanked the defenders and every resident who held out, helped others and keeps working for the community. He also paid tribute to the memory of the fallen.

He said the administration’s task is to give people back a sense of security, decent living conditions and confidence in the future, adding that “we work for this every day”.

Hostomel held out in the fight for freedom. Our shared task is to do everything we can to make it an example of Ukraine’s successful revival.

Serhii Smalhead of the Hostomel settlement military administration

On the eve of the holiday, on 13 October, Smal announced that five displaced families in Horenka had received new timber-frame houses. All of them work at the community’s municipal institutions.

Reconstruction is also under way in Hostomel itself: a 360-apartment complex is going up on Proskurivska Street, on the site of a destroyed military town. The first two buildings and a shelter are under construction.

Hostomel Day and Pokrova

Hostomel’s birthday traditionally coincided with the Feast of the Intercession, or Pokrova. In 2019 the settlement council wrote that the community marked four holidays that day: the town’s day, Pokrova, Ukrainian Cossacks Day and Defenders of Ukraine Day (then marked on 14 October).

Since 1 September 2023 the Orthodox Church of Ukraine has followed the Revised Julian calendar, so it now marks Pokrova on 1 October instead of 14 October. The same year the Day of Defenders of Ukraine was also moved to 1 October.

So this year the community marked Defenders Day on 1 October, when 20 veterans and soldiers received awards. The town’s birthday stayed on 14 October, while Syniak celebrated its Village Day on Pokrova.

Where the 532 years come from

The first written mention of Hostomel dates back to 1494, so this year the town turns 532. The community counts its anniversaries from that date: in 2021 the settlement council marked the 527th.

Last year, for the 531st anniversary, the community brought together veterans, families of fallen defenders and residents. Three families of the fallen received the Order for Courage, 3rd class, awarded posthumously.

Hostomel received the honorary distinction Hero City of Ukraine on 6 March 2022, the 11th day of the full-scale invasion. The community marked the fourth anniversary of its de-occupation on 1 April.

As a reminder, in August Hostomel unveiled an installation dedicated to the defence of its airport. It is built around a real concrete slab from the airfield, broken in two.

Nota bene

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