An impetus for rethinking

Any cultural event in the industrial Zaporizhia finds itself in the spotlight. One of such events is the visit of the Den newspaper’s team. Larysa Ivshyna, Den’s editor-in-chief and the concept author of all the books in the publication’s library, has responded to the invitation of Viktor Kostiuk, Vice Dean of the Journalism Faculty of Zaporizhia National University; journalists Valentyn Torba, Ivan Kapsamun, and Maria Semenchenko arrived to the city to present Den’s journalistic triptych: the books “The Trap,” or A Case without a Statute of Limitations; I, an Eyewitness. Notes from the Occupied Luhansk, and Catastrophe and Triumph. The Stories of Ukrainian Heroes. Even before the presentation the assembly hall had been filled to capacity not only by students of Zaporizhia National University; there were also students of the Classic Private University, Zaporizhia National Technical University, and high school students of Prestige gymnasium from Balabyne.

Students of the Journalism Faculty of Zaporizhia National University have been using Den as a guide for more than ten years. The book projects by Den newspaper is introduced as an optional course to the curriculum. Additionally, the future journalists learn the experience of Den in the pursuit of truth. “In the Introduction to Journalism course, all freshmen students are expected to read ‘A Tale of Two Journalists’ by James Mace,” says Viktor Kostiuk. “There is a separate lecture dedicated to the discussion of this work, at which we examine the mission of journalism and, most importantly, the responsibility of journalists. The story of Walter Duranty, described by James Mace is quite instructive – if you’re a journalist, you are responsible for your work even after death. Also, in class we act out the simulation game, based on the case “Ukrainian Press Group against Ukraine.” One group of the students becomes the European Court, another is the Ukrainian Press Group, the third is the Ukrainian state, and the fourth, the smallest one, presents the case. And then the trial begins. This activity contributes to better understanding of information as students study the national legislation.”

The presentation of Den’s book trilogy affected everyone. The students and teachers were impressed the most by the story of Valentyn Torba and his book I, an Eyewitness. Notes from the Occupied Luhansk. The autobiographical book raised many questions from the students to the author, who himself lived in Luhansk and was forced to leave the city. The audience asked Valentyn how and why he was included into the “death list” in Luhansk; Ivan Kapsamun was asked why people tend to vote for the people whom they struggled against recently; and Maria Semenchenko was asked to explain the title of the book she compiled. After all, there were much more questions than the time allotted for the answers.

The presentation ended with a nice gift from the intellectual newspaper Den to Prestige gymnasium in Balabyne. “It is important for any historian to see different views. In my opinion, the views of Den’s authors are the most progressive,” said Natalia Synetska, history teacher of Prestige school who received a set of books from Den’s Library series.

The discussion continued in a narrower circle of local journalists, teachers, and students from faculties of history and journalism, and Den’s team   – at the roundtable on the problems of modern history and media culture. “For the roundtable we invited journalists of Zaporizhia TV, our students, and the students from the faculty of history, and one ATO soldier also took part,” says Viktor Kostiuk who organized the event. “We discussed the importance of mass communication, and in particular the role of journalism in shedding light on everything that happens around us. Also we discussed the job that a journalist has to actually do. Everything we have and haven’t achieved in life depends on the information, on how we perceived and understood it. The task of the media is to primarily teach and tell. The main thing is that the meeting gave a landmark to the journalist about what they should do.”

COMMENTARIES

“OTHERS MUST ALSO PICK UP THIS BANNER OF ENLIGHTENMENT”

Zynovii PARTYKO, Doctor of Philology:

“Ukrainian society and science is now redefining a number of postulates regarding political thought. Den’s books are our life. Of course, readers will have to realize it and rethink everything what is happening in our time based on what they read. And this banner of enlightenment must be picked up by newspapers. It is the only way we can change public consciousness; Den will not be able to cope with the task alone. But, perhaps, only Den newspaper has this direction towards state-building today. Also, this newspaper is the first in terms of raising the most socially pressing issues.”

“IT IS AN EXAMPLE OF COURAGE FOR THE    YOUTH”

Oleksandr PROKHOROVYCH, student:

“The palette of ideas presented in the books is extremely timely and painful for Zaporizhia, because there is a bloody struggle waged on the borders of the region. It is necessary to grasp the true meaning of history, to feel it, as it is shown through the prism of eyewitnesses’ stories, their fates and circumstances; one should not blindly trust the ‘facts’ presented by crooked media. Everyone must draw conclusions for themselves in order for our city not to become a second Luhansk. For young people this should be a good example of courage and bravery; an example one wants to align with.”

“MAYBE THESE BOOKS WILL CHANGE THE ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE COMMON MISFORTUNE”

Mykola SYTNYK, student:

“I have heard about the three new books by Den long before the presentation in Zaporizhia. I had been interested in them as soon as they came out of print, so by the time of the presentation I already had a common understanding. To my subjective opinion those books are designed to change the behavior pattern, or at least to create a true picture of certain events. First, ‘The Trap’ made me think and compare what I was told and believed blindly, and that what actually happened. Secondly, I, an Eyewitness as well as Catastrophe and Triumph are a kind of chronicle of the terrible events that came knocking to our door. It is an experience and we have to prevent the same scenario from unfolding in other areas. It’s a shame that not everyone understands that Ukraine is not only Kyiv or Zaporizhia. Ukraine is in its every meter... and in Luhansk and Donetsk as well. Perhaps these books will change the attitude towards the common misfortune.”

“PEOPLE HERE KNOW DEN WELL”

Ivan KAPSAMUN, editor of Den’s politics section:

“This was the first time I came to Zaporizhia. For the first time we had been entrusted by Den/The Day’s Editor-in-Chief Larysa Ivshyna with presenting the newspaper’s projects and new books on our own. The impressions are positive. The visit was fruitful, interesting, useful, and beautiful. It was pleasant to speak before a well-prepared audience (not specially for us) – at the Zaporizhia University the students of the journalism department know our newspaper well (its history, projects, and materials). We felt that there was a great interest to the new books from Den’s Library. We could see this from the reaction of the crowded classroom, interesting questions, and communication after the presentation. People with a spark in their eyes wanted to learn more about the modern history of Ukraine, why Maidans and the war cannot break the situation, the consequences at the recent municipal elections.

“I will remember our live show with Valentyn Torba at the local television. People here know Den well, most importantly, they know its many-year principled stand concerning the sensational Gongadze-Podolsky case, and on the whole the clan-oligarchic system of the manager Kuchma. The host asked some provocative and somewhat biased questions. But this only made our talk more dynamic and dotted all the i’s. We couldn’t but agree that without journalists’ solidarity and civil pressure it be very hard to break the existing state of affairs. (Zaporizhia felt this to the full, when ‘Akhmetov’s candidate’ won at recent municipal elections.)

“After a short stroll across the city and a tour to Khortytsia island, I had an impression that Zaporizhia has a great historical heritage and tourist potential, but the city needs to be developed. The intelligent students of the Zaporizhia National University who want to be professional journalists, have a principled stand, know their history, most importantly, with the help of the educational activity of the newspaper Den/The Day, are a guaranty of this.”

“A CITY ON THE VERGE OF TWO MENTALITIES”

Valentyn TORBA, observer of Den’s politics section:

“Zaporizhia is located not only on the line that divides peaceful and military life, but also on the verge of two mentalities – a proletarian village and a city of education. It happened so that at recent local elections people faced this dilemma – to elect the chief engineer of Zaporizhstal Volodymyr Buriak as the mayor or the rector of the Zaporizhia National University Mykola Frolov. The residents of the city beyond rapids elected Buriak. The latter is connected with Rinat Akhmetov, which gave reasons to speak about a corresponding influence of ‘people of Donetsk’ on the city.

“During my visit to the journalism department of the Zaporizhia National University I was pleasantly surprised by the fluency of Ukrainian language in its walls. Apparently, this center includes personalities who impose a corresponding tone of not just mechanical learning, but also national education. This moment should have become a state strategy, for I as a resident of Luhansk know painfully well what the sluggish approach to first-priority tasks leads to. Lack of the national cementation around joint guidelines leads to a situation when people do not elect, they buy. Namely this danger is felt beyond the walls of the abovementioned university, whereas at the meeting with teachers and students, we, the journalists of Den/The Day, saw smart and inquisitive looks.”

“IN THE SPACE ELECTRIFIED WITH THOUGHTS”

Maria SEMENCHENKO, editor of Den’s society section:

“Three streets named after Cheka officials, one of the longest avenues in Europe – named after Lenin, a monument to Dzerzhinsky at Freedom Square. As a counterweight, Khortytsia and Cossack history. This is all Zaporizhia. A city which hasn’t shaped its identity, neither internally, nor externally. But apparently they soon will achieve this. Because apart from the fact that this is a plant city, it is also a university city. And the ‘intellectual space’ is formed namely in university classrooms. At least I heard this at the launch of our publicist triptych at the Zaporizhia National University. We spent two hours in the space electrified with thoughts and resolute plans for the future.

“First of all, the classroom was 100 percent full. At first you are surprised, then incredibly glad. Secondly, you can hear Ukrainian language in the university – in the city which is 200 kilometers away from Donetsk and is in the hazard zone during this war. Thirdly, students’ knowledge of our political history (not very detailed or deeply, but still), so they asked very accurate and correct questions to us as journalists. Fourthly, these are our readers, who read our books among other things. And in current situation it is important for the number of readers in the country to overcome the number of the TV viewers. In these classrooms we saw namely the readers.

“If we are lucky, namely these people in the near future will change the life in their city, change their city, and also without doubt influence the course of history. And it is gratifying to know that among the things that have shaped these young personalities there is our triptych and the book I compiled. And I have no doubt that some of the people present at the presentation will for sure buy it, read it and understand.”

Photos by Ruslan KANIUKA, The Day