In the Footsteps of <I>The Day</I>

In the spring of 2002, a fire destroyed a library of 50,000 books in Chornukhy, Poltava oblast, the native village of the outstanding Ukrainian poet and philosopher Hryhoriy Skovoroda. Months after this tragic event, in an effort to restore the library that went up in flames The Day and the well known journalist Olha Herasymyuk began a book drive called “Donate a Book.” The drive proved a success, with 6,000 books collected in the first two weeks and 15,000 after three weeks. For several months the appeal to help restore the library was answered by numerous publishing houses, libraries, institutions, cultural and commercial organizations, as well as many kindhearted individuals, including celebrities and ordinary citizens. There was a memorable visit to The Day’s editorial office by a group of 48 eight-year-old children from the Children’s Recreational and Environmental Center in Kyiv’s Obolon district, who delivered 1,500 books for the Chornukhy library. No less memorable was the visit by the distinguished Ukrainian poetess Lina Kostenko, who presented a personal selection of books along with her historical novel Berestechko with the following dedication to the natives of Chornukhy: “Best of luck in defiance of evil.” The main batch of books was shipped to Chornukhy in two trucks. When the drive officially ended, The Day invited every person of good will to continue sending books to the library’s address. Unfortunately, three years ago our efforts passed unnoticed by the previous government.

Meanwhile, last Wednesday Interfax-Ukraine reported that Ukraine’s former president (1994-2005), Leonid Kuchma, now chairman of the Ukraina Fund, visited Chornukhy as part of his Village Libraries project and donated books to the Hryhoriy Skovoroda Library. According to the Ukraina Fund press service, Leonid Kuchma delivered over 500 books, including new textbooks on the Ukrainian language, geography, history, economics, chemistry, law, and psychology, as well as the classics, new editions of dictionaries, and the Harry Potter series. Leonid Kuchma also promised to help renovate the local Culture House, which will house the expanded library fund. The children’s library fund currently holds close to 8,000 books, with another 16,000 titles in the section for senior students and adults.