The reception held to mark the occasion had all the Institute's hallmarks
of hospitality and democracy. As a rule, the list of guests is composed
taking into account not so much their social standing or official rank
as cultural merits that are, regrettably, often unnoticed by most. Actually,
such people prevail among the Institute's partners. Modest and utterly
dedicated cultural figures. And so this reception had little in common
with other elite gatherings boasting expensive clothes, nouveau riche pomp,
and "cultural elite" pretensions. Everything was kept in a respectable
and intellectual style. Even the food and drinks offered the guests - scholars,
literati, stage directors, museum and library specialists - were not pawed
at greedily and thirstily, elbowing through the crowd to get to the nearest
tray (as is common at such gatherings held elsewhere in the capital), although
few denied themselves the pleasure of asking for another helping of the
famous Christmas mulled wine served from huge saucepans. The hot wine best
complimented the friendly relaxed atmosphere. Institute people politely
listened to compliments and in the end made another most generous gift
to Ukrainian libraries: over 2,000 books.







