The Day spent December 11 at Zhytomyr State University. The The Day-2009 photo exhibit was opened here; it will last in Zhytomyr until January 11. The book conference “The Formation of the Historic Memory of Youth” was also held here with the participation of the students and faculty, vice-rectors, rector Petro Saukh, and The Day’s editor in chief of Larysa Ivshyna.
Our newspaper’s photo exhibit came to Zhytomyr for the second time. The first visit dates back to 2001. What regards the The Day’s Library Series, residents of the city are scarcely familiar with it: some have read the books, some have only heard about them, but there was no full-fledged launch of the series in this city. This is unfortunate, because the city is just 140 kilometers away from Kyiv. Therefore, Saukh invited The Day to come. He said: “I know that The Day is gaining popularity in Zhytomyr oblast and in our university not only in Ukrainian, but also in English.”
“The Day’s Day is indeed a much anticipated event for our city”, he said in his opening address at the exhibit.
It is important that Zhytomyr picked up the initiative “Gift to My School,” which was started by Valerii Koval, The Day’s reader from Chernihiv. Mykhaylo Pukhtaievych, director of the local company Prospect, presented three Zhytomyr schools with an annual subscription to The Day and also a set of books from its Library Series. The 2002 graduates of Zhytomyr Regional Teachers’ Lyceum joined in. They presented the books from The Day’s Library Series to the director and history teachers in their lyceum. As it turned out, this gift and the warm words addressed to their teachers were even more appropriate, because the teacher Natalia Presniakova celebrated her birthday that day.
There were numerous appropriate details like that during The Day’s Day in Zhytomyr. Together they produced wonderful impressions for both sides: we were impressed by the residents of Zhytomyr, while they, judging from their reaction, were impressed by us.
The book conference that lasted for almost three hours was transformed into a profound discussion on worldview problems. With the presidential elections coming in a month, questions to the editor in chief were naturally linked to this event. It is pleasant that the question of choice is regarded by the city residents in a much wider context than just a choice between specific names. It was mentioned during the conference that Ukrainian history started not with the Maidan, i.e., the Orange Revolution, and the roots of our problems are much deeper. In addition, the participants discussed “95 Kvartal” and issues of taste and style, the freedom of speech and the freedom “to chatter,” the great James Mace, and his always relevant “A Tale of Two Journalists.”
The Day and its projects – the Library Series and the photo exhibit – usually come to places where they are expected and where they can become a catalyst of a new process. That is why we are pleased to become better acquainted with a university that is putting forth a tremendous effort to incite an interest in the things intellectual among young people,” said Ivshyna. It is important that Zhytomyr State University became yet another addition to the Ukrainian islets between which we are trying to build “living” bridges.
Serhii BOVKUN, contributor and reader (Zhytomyr):
“Den’ has turned me and the family into regular and careful readers. My mother, Halyna Bovkun, is an artist. Toward the end of each year, Den’/The Day carries out a poll by way of New Year’s Eve questionnaires in which the reader is often invited to send a drawing commemorating the festive occasion. Once I asked my mother to make such a drawing and for several years afterward her funny cartoons were published by your newspaper. Unfortunately, she passed away two years ago. Our family has published two collections of her works. (Mom was also a writer). One of them, entitled Nedospivane (Unfinished Song), appeared in print after her death. There is also a prose work, a diary. Den’s regular readers know that it publishes brief but very apt essays on its front page. My mother wrote her diary for this column, but we found it in her archives only after she passed away. I sent the diary to Larysa Ivshyna and it was carried by the newspaper this year, with my mother’s byline, as though she were alive.
“I thank the editors for our cooperation and I am eagerly awaiting the next issue.”
Adrina RUDENKO, fourth-year student, physics and mathematics faculty, Ivan Franko Zhytomyr State University:
“This exhibit puts you in a special mood, particularly when you examine a photo first and read the caption afterward. For example, there is a very nice landscape photographed by Ksenia Popovych, 14, from Kyiv and entitled ‘A Month in Spring.’ Another one I liked was entitled ‘Friends’ and made by Maksym Nych, 16, from Chechelnyk in Vinnytsia oblast. It showed an Afro-American boy and a girl wearing a Ukrainian costume, and of course, ‘Wedding Party for the Whole Village’ by Yevhen Mashurov from Kyiv that deservedly won this year’s main prize, The Golden Day.”
Petro SAUKH, rector, Ivan Franko Zhytomyr State University:
“The topic of the readers’ conference with the editors was extremely important. Historical memory is a fundamental problem, because it is impossible to build one’s future without remembering the past. Lack of this memory has to do with immorality: he who doesn’t remember his past can’t build his future. This is important for our younger generation. As it is, we keep changing our views on the past.
“The Soviet period was dominated by the idea of social titanism, when the emphasis was on struggle — be it for communism, five-year plans, and so on. This psychology remains domineering, as we’re struggling against corruption, the economic crisis, etc.
“The archetype of the theme of struggle leads to violence. Not coincidentally, there is a conference on tolerance underway at the university, considering the development of the globalization process. This, however, requires understanding the notion of identity. There are two ways [to ago about it]. One is individual, when everyone is acting on his/her own. The other is that, unless we combine efforts to solve the problems facing humankind, we will all suffer.
“During the conference I said that Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche singled out three views on history: monumental, antiquarian, and critical. And so, unless they are considered in harmony, it is impossible to work out the foundation on which to build our future. Our faculty of history teaches a course in ‘Historical Memory as a Social and Humanitarian Problem,’ so this theme is close to us and we’re glad to have held this conference. Den’s Library Series met with understanding and public response in Zhytomyr.”
