Warm Reception

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.