POCATELLO — The mayor of a Ukrainian city that endured seven months of Russian occupation will visit Pocatello this month to thank residents who helped restore running water to 5,000 people.

Mayor Andriy Seletskiy of Novovorontsovka, Ukraine, is expected to attend a gala at the Purpose Building, 224 N. Main St., at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13, according to a news release from local Ukrainian activist and organizer Lena Contor.

Ukrainian singer Yuliya Tymochko, a superfinalist in “The Voice” who now lives as a refugee in Salt Lake City, will provide entertainment.

“A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she served her mission in Ukraine and continues to use music to build bridges, heal hearts and honor her culture,” Contor told the Idaho State Journal.

Tymochko served her mission in Kryvyi Rih, the same area where a rehabilitation center for amputee veterans and civilians is being built. The gala will raise funds for the center.

“This connection makes her support deeply personal and heartfelt,” Contor said.

A small delegation of Seletskiy’s leadership team will join him. The visit will show gratitude to Pocatello residents for their support.

“It is also about learning, connection and building something lasting between our communities,” Contor said.

Novovorontsovka endured seven months of Russian occupation and went more than two years without reliable electricity and running water after the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in 2023.

Last February, the greater Pocatello community raised $27,000 toward two of seven solar stations being built to power wells and provide electricity to nearby communities, the Journal reported in August. A private company matched costs to fund an additional solar station.

The small southern Ukrainian community once housed more than 12,000 residents before Russian shelling destroyed the town’s water infrastructure.The population dwindled to less than 5,000 after the loss of electricity and running water.

“Through local fundraising efforts led by our community, solar panels were installed to restore running water for approximately 5,000 residents — many of whom had been without access to clean water for over 2.5 years,” Contor said. “Mayor Seletskiy is traveling to Pocatello specifically to thank the community that made this possible and to meet with local leaders, including Mayor Mark Dahlquist.”

Before the war, Seletskiy was a history teacher, tour guide and father. During the seven-month occupation, he helped evacuate 1,200 civilians and deliver 10 tons of humanitarian aid.

“For this work, he was beaten and tortured,” Contor said. “He later became mayor not through ambition, but because his community asked him to lead during recovery.”

A live auction during the gala will raise money for the rehabilitation center. Prizes include two courtside seats next to Idaho State University President Robert Wagner for the men’s basketball game against Weber State on Feb. 28, a handcrafted Peruvian guitar, handmade Ukrainian attire and gift cards to local businesses.

“This event is not about politics,” Contor said. “It is about civic compassion, international connection and the extraordinary impact of ordinary people in Eastern Idaho.”

Tickets can be purchased at events.humanitix.com/mayoral-gala.