Last week an intercollegiate student conference entitled “Prominent State-Building Figures” was held at Kyiv National University of Internal Affairs. Symon Petliura, Ivan Mazepa, Danylo Halytsky, and Borys Hrinchenko were just some of the names on a list of renowned Ukrainian personalities whose achievements were discussed by the students.
During the conference students and teachers of the university’s Law Faculty also had an opportunity to speak with Larysa Ivshyna, editor-in-chief of The Day, and acquaint themselves with its Library Series. Mrs. Ivshyna told the conference that if people want to be good citizens, they must study their history not simply to obtain marks.
“I remember a phrase that has always struck me as important: “ There was no hetman between Bohdan and Ivan.’ I think it obliges students and historians to adopt a new approach to the state-building contributions of Bohdan Khmelnytsky and Ivan Mazepa,” The Day’s chief editor said.
“I too believe that it is crucial to know one’s national history, so we always read Den and especially its English digest, The Day,” said fourth-year law student Daria Bohdashkina. Anatoliy Buimister, head of the Law Faculty’s Chair of Humanities, began collecting The Day’s books a long time ago. “These books are extraordinarily interesting. They are not just crucial to the teaching process. They also help us understand our history, something few of us know these days, unfortunately.”
Dean Serhiy Bezrutchenko of the Law Faculty shared his impressions of the conference. “Our mission here fully conforms to its objective, namely formulating an understanding of patriotism and responsibility for the future, so inviting Mrs. Ivshyna to visit us was a wise move. She is correct in saying that history is a productive force only when it exists in one’s mind and soul, rather than in archives and libraries. Despite the professional orientation of this institution of higher learning, this day was extremely important and beneficial. I believe that from now on the books published by The Day will be read by many students and teachers; we must know who we are and where we come from.”
