WE TRY OUR BEST

Having lived here for over five years and teaching political science, I keep asking myself three questions: Why does such a wonderful people as those who inhabit this country live so poorly? Is there anything we can do about it? If so, what?

In a country where the real politics of who gets what thanks to whomever is in power is carried out in opacity, one thing we can do is to increase transparency in politics and society. In America we talk about the people's right to know. Nobody is fighting for that right in Ukraine more than our newspaper.

In a country cut off from intellectual processes going on in the outside world for decades and run by people with little notion of what has happened in world thought for decades, another obvious thing to do is to raise the level of the discourse through which we try to understand what is happening to us and what to do about it. The Day provides a forum where this nation's best and brightest can express what they think, including (perhaps above all) what they think is wrong and how to at least start setting it right.

In other words, The Day is doing something extremely important to foster this country's adaptation from a ramshackle former Soviet province into the modern European nation its people deserve. I am grateful for the opportunity to take part in that process.
 

  George Sklyar, Translator

I am nearing 50 and I have always considered Easter, Christmas, and New Year the best and only holidays worth celebrating, just as I have always hated official red-letter days and their attendant pomp. Ukrainians are very fond of celebrating, perhaps because under the Soviets festive occasions (there were a lot, mostly official ones) were the only opportunity to let one's hair down and get happily drunk, forgetting, even if for a short while, about the gloomy daily routine, empty store shelves, boring senseless work, endless propaganda, geriatric Politburo idiots and local party clowns with their meetings and lectures, and young men dying in Afghanistan...

Ukraine is free and independent. This is the most important thing. Despite incompetent administration it is perhaps the only former Soviet republic untouched by internal hostilities (barring gang shoot-outs and contract killings, but you can't have everything, can you?).

In a democratic country the press plays an extremely important role and I am happy to be working for The Day. Its reputation requires no eulogizing, so I will only wish my colleagues (and all our readers) a very happy New Year, and to keep up the good job for the sake of this young national state, for the sake of our posterity. I believe that Ukraine will evolve into a truly democratic and civilized polity, for Our Lord is on our side. And I would like the rich and the famous to pause and think about the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!
 
 

Eugene Starovoitov, Translator

When I tell people where I work they start nodding and saying something like "Oh, that newspaper. I've heard of it." I like this. I like being a part of something which lives, makes people think, makes them analyze the situation. Many Americans, who run businesses in Ukraine, consider The Day the main source of information and analysis of the situation in Ukraine. Then, think of those Americans and Canadians of Ukrainian origin, who happen not to know Ukrainian, but still relate to themselves as Ukrainians; The Day brings them home. I think this is great. I am happy I am a part of that. I am also very happy to be working together with such nice, kind and generous people, perfect professionals. I would like to express my gratitude to Prof. James Mace and Mr. George Skliar for support and understanding. Way to go, people!

  Alevtyna Semeniuk, Technical Editor

My son Vanya and The Day were born on the same day. It is very interesting to watch both my son and my newspaper grow. I hope it will be The Day, which will open up for him this huge and complicated world. Grow big, healthy, smart, strong, and rich!
 
 

  Leonid Telenkov, This Day in History Columnist

I would every much want The Day, with all its advantages as a modern Ukrainian newspaper, to gain an international publication, so that people all over the world wake up in the morning and start the day with The Day over coffee and live with its information throughout the day, looking forward to the next day and next issue.
 

  Tetiana Kazanska, Designer

I am an architect by training and I thank my stars for being on the Den staff. Every page is filled with text, photos, using different fonts and sizes. Working on the galleys, with empty windows is like handling an architectural project. Yes, I am happy to work here.
 

      Larysa Vydolob, Layout
 
 

  Iryna Obidovska, Layout

The Day is a serious, intelligent newspaper, which differs from others in how it esthetically presents material. This is a result of the professional work of many specialists, from the journalists to the technical personnel.

We are happy that we also belong to this newspaper, which is able to formulate Ukraine's image abroad.