The ancient city of Kamyanets-Podilsky recently hosted two events organized by The Day: a presentation of the latest books of The Day’s Library Series, which turned into a well attended readers’ conference, and the launch of The Day’s annual photo exhibit.
Despite the pre-election mood in the country in general and in Kamyanets- Podilsky in particular, the readers’ conference, held on the premises of the local state university, was more humanitarian and socially significant. Presenting two new books, Day and Eternity of James Mace and Klara Gudzyk’s Apocrypha, The Day’s chief editor Larysa Ivshyna said that history is much more important than politics.
“The nation must focus on studying the true history of our country, the Holodomor in particular, and overcoming its psychological, demographic, social, cultural, and moral consequences. I know that today schools are instructed to study the Holodomor. But while instructions arrive, books don’t,” Ivshyna said.
Students of the Faculty of Education at Kamyanets-Podilsky State University have faced this problem first-hand. According to fourth-year student Veronica Lohinova, during her internship at local high schools she witnessed how teachers were in a panic because they did not know what to tell their students about the Holodomor of 1932-1933 or what books to use.
Students peppered The Day’s chief editor with questions: How do you feel about nationalism? Why do the Poles believe that Kamyanets-Podilsky residents are infringing their rights? Why is there still no Institute of National Memory?
The heated discussion, which lasted for several hours in the university’s main auditorium, continued at the Art Gallery on Virmenska Ploshcha in the Old Town. The gallery’s showroom was filled with the music of Vivaldi performed by the “Violini” Ensemble, directed by Anatoliy Hepliuk. The atmosphere was festive, inspired by modern photographic art that was created by contestants of The Day’s photo competition.
The photos were displayed on the ancient walls of an 19th-century building that once housed a theological seminary. The Day’s readers’ conference and photo exhibit was a major cultural event in Kamyanets-Podilsky. True to tradition, once The Day’s photo contest is over and the best photograph is chosen by a readers’ poll, the editor will present the winning photograph to the art gallery in this city on the legendary Smotrych River.
