The Central Library received this gift on January 22, the Unity Day, from the public figure Ruslan Rokhov’s family, as they donated books which the institution’s management described as “a must read for every Ukrainian.” They belong to Den’s Library project and include series “Armor-Piercing Political Writing” and “Subversive Literature” as well as past year’s novelties Ukraine Incognita. TOP 25 and People of the Maidan: A Chronicle, new editions of Klara Gudzyk’s Apocrypha, James Mace’s Your Dead Have Chosen Me and Den’s bestseller The Power of the Soft Sign.
The library’s response to the gift and Rokhov’s reasons for this gesture are presented below in their own words.
Ruslan ROKHOV, a public figure:
“I have been working with libraries for many years. Following an internship in the US, I realized that to develop the country, we should make sure that new generations grow up into conscious citizens who feel responsible for the nation’s future. Since then, working with libraries has been a priority for me.
“Den’s books debunk various myths and reveal our true history. They promote civic education and cultivate intelligent patriotism. This is now more important than ever as we live through the undeclared Russo-Ukrainian war. After all, the enemy is fighting for people’s minds. They manipulate history, facts, and available information. To resist the enemy propaganda, people should understand the situation, and to do so, they must have a strong knowledge of the history of Ukraine and its relations with its eastern neighbor. The books which our family has presented to the Khmelnytsky City Centralized Library System should help the city’s residents to get such knowledge. Having read Den’s books, anyone will have a strong armor that will protect them from any anti-Ukrainian propaganda.”
Tamara KOZYTSKA, director of the Khmelnytsky City Centralized Library System (CLS):
“The present situation in Ukraine requires every patriotic Ukrainian to defend the truth about our country, its history and culture. We have to defend our views and respond to outright lies of the enemy’s propagandists, but we often lack arguments for this discussion.
“To reduce the negative impact of media propaganda and ensure comprehensive development of the Ukrainian identity, librarians of the Khmelnytsky City CLS hold socio-cultural events for schoolchildren, university students, and teachers of the city, aimed at debunking myths pushed by Russian historiography and clarifying the historical truth. Our work includes holding book exhibitions, creating thematic shelves, publishing literature reviews, and holding meetings with historians. Our libraries’ modern information space allows our patrons to discuss attempts to distort historical events.
“Unfortunately, collections of the city’s libraries are short of relevant literature. Librarians have to look for and print out materials from the Internet or use articles from periodicals.
“These books, published by the all-Ukrainian newspaper Den and now presented to the Khmelnytsky City CLS’s Central Library by the Rokhovs, are particularly valuable for us. They will help patrons of the city’s libraries to receive impartial information on the interpretation of historical events.”
P.S. Let us repeat that everyone is welcome to join Den’s campaign “Make a Donation to Your School/Library.” To do this, one needs just to contact our sales department by calling (044) 303-96-23, or order the books online at www.day.kiev.ua
