2011 <i>The Day</i> ’s honored noble men

On New Year’s Eve The Day honored the people who, through their stands and actions, “did everything for the world around not to degrade.” The editorial staff has determined the Man of the Year for the second time. Last year this was the journalist Mykola Khriienko. (Let’s recall that in 2009 this title was awarded to the restorer Anatolii Kvasiuk, who had been working on reviving the Mother of God of Kholm icon for 10 years. On New Year’s Eve, The Day also granted symbolic crowns to the most prominent persons, for their good deeds. Some of them have responded to our idea and spoke about their emotions and impressions of such distinction.

“I TRIED IT ON MYSELF – IT SEEMED TO FIT”

Mykola KHRIIENKO, journalist, author of the “The Ukrainians Beyond the Urals” project, Man of the Year 2010 according to The Day:

“The Day’s decision to choose me as the Man of the Year was unexpected for me. It’s a very high distinction. At first I didn’t realize why I was chosen (though I didn’t intend to refuse the award, that would be illogical). But then I read the last two paragraphs of The Day’s editor-in-chief Larysa Ivshyna, explaining the criteria the news­paper followed while choosing those worthy to this title. I applied them to myself — they seemed to fit.

“But, first of all, I took it as an advance for my future work. Such high rewards don’t give you a right just to receive them and put them on a shelf. Of course, I have done a lot. Yet it is for my cultural work that the editorial staff chose me — not a policeman, who risks his life arresting criminals, not an engineer, not a doctor, but a journalist.

“If only I manage to fulfill one more project, ‘Ukrainians in Central Asia,’ I will feel that I have deserved this award.

“By the way, I got many congratulations about receiving this award. I was congratulated by my wife Tamara, my sons Andrii and Serhii. When you enjoy recognition of your family at home, where they share your joy, it’s very pleasant. I got calls from journalists from Kyslovodsk, Kiro­vohrad region, where I began to publish in the local newspaper The Dnipro Truth. They congratulated me with this title. I got congratulations from classmates (there were seven calls). I was also congratulated by my friends, with whom I went hiking and have friendly relations, the heroes of my publications, particularly about Chornobyl, Kolyma, Chukotka. And I was also congratulated by the editor-in-chief of The Journalist of Ukraine Vira Chernykh.”

“WE THANK PEOPLE FOR THAT SPIRIT OF FREEDOM AND CARING, WHICH STANDS BEHIND THE RECOGNITION”

Lilia YEMELIANENKO, founder of the City’s Independent Union of Mini-Shelters:

“What does this award mean for the author of the ‘I want to go home’ article? What does this award mean for all those people that stand behind the destiny of every saved and sheltered animal, behind every line in the article, behind every appeal? If to write that recognition in the form of an award is priceless for us, it would sound somewhat banal. But it is really so. Tell me how to estimate the fact that during the last year we managed to move dozens of previously abandoned, sick animals into good families thanks to the publication? How to appraise the fact that hundreds of readers will never again pass by indifferent to an animal’s pain? How to express our pride that many Ukrainians sense the responsibility for tomorrow’s humane society, in which their child­ren will live. Not the state, but we, ordinary people, the readers of such articles carry the responsibility for the choice of our future.

“How to appraise and express all of this? Perhaps, this award is the most important argument in favor of the fact that the human is reasonable, thus it depends on him or her how lo live. We believe that our readers are bright people, and that they change our life for better. And if this award was granted to our article, it means that our readers believe in us. And with belief one can remove the mountains of indifference and dispel the clouds of misunderstanding.

“We are really grateful for this award. We are grateful for the editorial staff’s attention to the big problems of our little friends — without our article it would be much more difficult for us to reach out to people. And we thank people for that spirit of freedom and caring, which stands behind our reader’s recognition.”

“THANK YOU”

Oleh KOKHAN, film producer:

“Often our idea of Ukrainian culture is limited by the persons that migrate from one glossy magazine to another. I would like us to exit from this closed circle; then Ukraine and the world would learn about the people who create real art and who determine the development of modern Ukrainian culture. Finding and supporting them is my work as a producer. And I’m thankful that The Day has praised my professional efforts so highly. This is particularly pleasant as The Day is somehow doing the same thing: it finds and writes about (and thus supports) interesting, talented and unique people regardless of who they are — a gifted child, a businessman or an artist. For that: Thank you!”