Uzhgorod is the economic and humanitarian eldorado of Ukraine
I recently learned that my friend from Dnipro went on a trip to Uzhgorod. At first, I was surprised by the fact that the motive for the trip was not only Oksana’s tourist curiosity, but also the desire to evaluate the prospects of further relocation from the Dnipro. But the surprise was quickly replaced by an understanding of the expediency of such intelligence. After all, during the war years, Uzhgorod became the center of economic and humanitarian pilgrimage of our compatriots who, after the horrors experienced under shelling in Kharkiv and other cities of Ukraine, finally received carte blanche to live in a peaceful town.
Conspiracy theorists say that the lack of missile attacks in Transcarpathia is due to an agreement between Orban and Putin. However, Transcarpathians themselves believe that the problem lies in the absence of strategic enterprises and facilities in the region, a good mountainous landscape and proximity to EU and NATO member states.
The promised land
Today, Uzhhorod is almost the only center of peace and tranquility in the country in the stormy ocean of enemy shelling. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the city has been bombed only once. There is no curfew here. A completely peaceful life is raging. New housing is being built. Relocated businesses open their branches.
So, for the second year now, an enterprise relocated from the Dnipro, founded in 2018 by the Shelest couple, has been operating near Uzhhorod. Since the beginning of the war, the business of manufacturing electrical equipment for beauty salons had to be taken to a safe place. Now fifty people work in the production and in the office. A new workshop is being built. The company’s products are exported to almost forty countries of the world. Even before the relocation, the Shelestas were advised to resume business abroad. But the couple chose to work in Ukraine.
What else attracts internally displaced people who have decided to relocate?
Transcarpathia is known for its picturesque landscapes, mountains, forests and rivers. It attracts migrants who are looking for opportunities to relax and connect with nature.
It is known that the city borders 4 European states: Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and Romania. It seems to be an ideal refuge for those who do not want to leave their homeland, while seeking security for themselves and their families and having the ability – if necessary – to quickly cross the border, including to meet relatives who are temporarily in Europe.
According to the unofficial statistics, the population of the city almost doubled during the two years of the war at the expense of TPO and resettlement. Relocated enterprises increased by 120. Accordingly, the number of jobs increased significantly. The breath of new competition is felt in the service sector, in the real estate market, and in the restaurant business.
What are the prospects for the Uzhhorod labor market?
Monitoring of vacancies in the city shows the following trend: sales consultants, accountants, drivers, freight forwarders, teachers are offered a salary comparable to the income of their colleagues in other regions of the country. The average salary in Uzhgorod is UAH 20,000. This is the median salary based on data from 2,285 vacancies posted on Work.ua for the last three positions. But, according to some employers, the average income of many workers is 30,000-40,000 hryvnias.
However, a specialist with such specific competence as a manager for processing incoming applications with knowledge of the Hungarian language is promised up to UAH 85,000. Agree, a very decent offer.
Uzhgorod is one of the centers of the IT industry in Ukraine, which provides opportunities for employment in the field of digital technologies.
Such wealth is enough to rent a house
For example, the rent of a renovated two-room apartment in which my friend lives is 10,000 hryvnias per month. This housing from the secondary market is located 40 minutes’ walk from the center of Uzhgorod.
In general, the prices on the real estate market of Transcarpathia after the start of the full-scale invasion left behind even those in the capital, because wealthy Ukrainians are ready to pay more for renting housing in the safest corner of the country.
The demand for real estate in Uzhhorod is crazy. Previously, local entrepreneurs invested in new buildings, but there was little demand for them. Currently, there are almost no vacant properties left on the real estate market of Transcarpathia.
History develops in a spiral
Uzhgorod has a rich and heroic history, which goes back to ancient times: the Slavic town was destroyed by the Mongol-Tatars, soon rebuilt as an important trade center, and received the status of a free royal city. In the future, it was under the rule of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in the last century it survived the Russian and Hungarian occupation, became an important industrial and cultural center, and is currently experiencing a new flourishing. The Transcarpathian city offers its guests a combination of safety, convenience, cultural proximity and economic opportunities, which makes it a very attractive place to move.
Tatyana Morarash