Ivan Honchar Museum celebrated the anniversary of Maidan Library

Anastasia Makarenko, who still develops the library (a public organization “Maidan Library” has been registered recently), presided over the anniversary meeting. The former culture minister Yevhen Nyshchuk, writers, artists, bards, and library volunteers reminisced on how the idea of the Revolutionary library in Ukrainian House was conceived; on how the staff struggled to handle the sheer amount of books flowing to the library from citizens, writers, and publishers; on how they were impressed with the queries for highly intellectual books on behalf of the readers – the revolution was made by quite an educated community!

Back then, the mere fact of having a library emerge during those turbulent revolutionary times became a kind of sensation for both domestic and foreign media, as well as for Euromaidan activists themselves. Readers were surprised to learn that books, sometimes very expensive ones, were available free of charge. Yet every book due was returned! This only shows the high level of self-awareness and dignity of the insurgent readers – in stark contrast to the embezzlers of Yanukovych regime, whom they renounced.

The library picked up the idea of Mila Ivanova, the writer, who spoke about renovation of rural libraries with the latest issues from Ukrainian publishers. Whereas Ivanova, all by herself, managed to replenish the book funds of more than 80 rural libraries over the course of two years, Maidan Library, aided by delivery service “Nova Poshta,” sent the book collections to 250 libraries in mere two weeks! And the process is far from over – the library continues its quest for revolution in culture.