“All I can say is: THIS IS NOT ENOUGH!”

How many Ukrainians know that in Mykolaiv there is a monument to Viacheslav Chornovil? Do you know that Mykolaiv has the first in Ukraine large virtual city project which is the interactive art project of 3D panoramas of monuments, historical facts, important events of the city and any Internet user can virtually go sightseeing in Mykolaiv? Do you know that in Mykolaiv there is a round-the-clock informational TV-channel broadcasting live press clubs with the regular participation of the municipal and regional authorities in them? On the Students’ Day city mayor Volodymyr Chaika gave two students a possibility to perform his functions. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find out this information from the central media in prime time. That is why even in the 21st century the “door to door” technology still works. 

Recently Den/The Day’s editor-in-chief Larysa Ivshyna presented The Day’s Library in Mykolaiv. Besides, there was a number of interesting meetings with the local public. By the way, it was the first day of Den in this city since we have never been to the city that descended from glorious Olvia before. “Mykolaiv is incognito for Ukraine. Probably, the reason for this is that it was a closed city for a long time. I think now Mykolaiv has every prospect to make the image of the intellectual, smart, interesting and unique Ukrainian city having its special profile,” Ivshyna shared her impressions with the local journalists at the end of the trip. 

By the way, the fact that there is no feedback from Kyiv does not mean that Mykolaiv is still closed (as it was in the Soviet time) and does not know what happens outside the city. Thus for many of those who came to meet The Day’s editor-in-chief to the Mykolaiv Hmyriov Regional Universal Scientific Library the readers’ conference and the presentation of the new books were the first meeting with the newspaper. However, there were also those who were looking forward to this meeting and prepared for it for a long time. For example, the head of the Mykolaiv Municipal NGO “Spadshchyna” [Heritage. – Ed.], active reader of the library No.18 Iryna Kupriievych asked Larysa Ivshyna to sign two first books by Den that Kupriievych brought with her: Ukraina Incognita and Dvi Rusi. “It is important that these books have been read many times and there are bookmarks in them: people worked with them for ten years,” editor-in-chief was impressed. “I took an additional load, worried, looked for resources, I was nervous, thought how to publish them... to see that people need these books, that they read them and get new ideas and new energy from this work. You know, it is extremely important to get back the understanding and steps towards.” 

The meeting of the Mykolaiv television press club was another deep impression. “There is freedom of speech in Ukraine, however, there no high-quality ideas to fill it in. To make freedom of speech useful we have to fill it in with quality,” Ivshyna remarked.  

The Academic Television Channel of the Media College is developing in Mykolaiv. “Regardless of the fact that, according to the law, the commercial television companies must have only editorial board aimed at protecting the interests of the staff, TAK-TV initiated the creation of the public council that is the feature of the public television all over the world. The readiness of the Mykolaiv authorities to communicate with the journalists is the evidence that something has already been done to “fill in” the freedom of speech. “The local authorities are very open. It is a good example to follow since thus the journalists learn to assume mutual responsibility. If you sit next to an official and do not ask anything important, what can you talk about later? So, they have to learn how to efficiently use the mutual possibilities,” Ivshyna thinks. 

Find out more information about Den visiting Mykolaiv from the impressions of the local public. 

Volodymyr CHAIKA, Mykolaiv city mayor: 

“I think that the meeting of the press club proved once again that the ideas people have in Kyiv coincide with ours in Mykolaiv. Larysa Ivshyna remarked that she did not know that Mykolaiv is a progressive city, that we were the first to start a private TV channel and developed the printed press back then. We do not have any forbidden topics that journalists would ask about and the authorities would not answer. Another point is that we have to tell only the truth to each other. We thank Larysa Ivshyna once again for coming from Kyiv. She has got her work cut out for her, too, and we do our best to make our city peaceful in the social, political and economical aspects. Nobody will come and collect the garbage if we do not do it, nobody will work with the small and medium-sized businesses if we do not do it.” 

Ihor DIATLOV, head of the Mykolaiv Oblast Council: 

“I am sure that the openness and transparency of the power is the main achievement of the democratic society. In Mykolaiv oblast this value was regarded differently at various times. Today I am pleased to hear from many journalists that not only do we have the liberty of speech but it performs the important function of the mirror. When looking in this mirror I as head of the Mykolaiv Oblast Council understand that what we do is right or that we should review some of our decisions. The fact that the journalists minimally criticize the oblast council is the evidence that we have chosen the right policy. I was glad to meet Den/The Day’s editor-in-chief Larysa Ivshyna. We talked for a long time about the central media and the fact that, unfortunately, they leave a lot of interesting information from the regions unattended. The news that Den is going to have a special reporter in Mykolaiv is good. The oblast council is ready for fruitful cooperation the more that we have a lot in common. I am sure that our cooperation will bring new ideas and more readers to the newspaper and the residents of Mykolaiv will have a possibility to prove all over Ukraine that the center of development and progress is here.” 

Viacheslav CHYCHENIN, editor of the website mk.mk.ua, board member of the Mykolaiv press club: 

“I have known about Larysa Ivshyna’s work as a journalist and editor for a long time. I can say that she is not only a perfect professional but she can also be attributed to the few moral authorities in Ukraine and not only in journalism. This person always studies and develops. Her communication with outstanding scholars influenced her a lot and she has her own absolutely unique worldview that is reflected in the newspaper where she works. It should be noted that it is difficult to suspect her of sympathizing with any political force, she is neutral and distant from all these events that does her credit. I think that the fact that she came to Mykolaiv and told about the serious work the newspaper does is, of course, an event not only for the journalists and students who looked forward to it. It is very important and interesting that she managed to meet our municipal and regional authorities. I am sure that it is an important event in their life since they could see what a journalist can be.”