“Why isn’t the Apostle of truth and learning coming?”
(Taras Shevchenko)
Paradoxically, it took a whole week for the public to learn about the theft of what is effectively a national book treasure. We mean The Apostle, published in 1564 by Ivan Fyodorov in Moscow, which is among the most valuable old books preserved in Ukraine. The treasure was stolen from the Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine on May 10. The library’s holdings included three copies of the book before the theft. The crime report appeared on the website of the National Police’s Chief Directorate for Kyiv late on May 16, then the short news was spread by the media and it slowly began to draw comments.
The disappearance was detected by the library’s deputy director for research who immediately alerted the police. That same day, on May 10, the investigation department of the Kyiv police directorate added information about the event to the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations, identifying it as a crime provided for by Art.185 (Theft) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. They are currently conducting investigation work aimed at identifying and detaining the suspect. The value of The Apostle is being assessed by experts as well.
“The thief introduced himself as a security service officer, presented a letter asking us to let him to inspect our valuables, and had a valid security service ID,” Natalia Bondar posted on Facebook; she heads the old printed books and rarities department of the Vernadsky National Library. The man, who is now suspected of the crime, listed the publications he would like to inspect. He also asked for a separate room, where he would be able to work in peace, the National Police’s Chief Directorate for Kyiv’s press office reported. During the “inspection,” the man repeatedly left the room, while at the end of the day, he went out again and did not return. When library staff began to check in the books he had requested, they found out that an old printed book vanished.
Currently, the library offers next to no comment on the situation, so as not to hobble the investigation. This is understandable, but we are still surprised that the institution’s website has no report whatsoever of the high-profile theft. The Day’s attempts to get experts to offer their thoughts on the situation and the measures needed to prevent similar cases from reoccurring in Ukraine turned into a veritable quest, as almost no one wanted to comment on this specific topic. In particular, the Ukrainian Library Association advised us to contact the agencies that work directly with old printed books.
Bondar appealed to the public via Facebook: “Please help us... by following actions: pay attention to your city’s libraries’ preservation conditions of book categories including Fyodorov’s publications, Old Cyrillic books, incunabula, Grazhdanka Cyrillic books, rare illustrated books of the 19th and 20th centuries. Special attention is required when the same patron is interested in several of them. Experience suggests that such thefts may have international connections.”
The head of the old printed books and rarities department of the theft-hit library also asked people to block attempts to sell the stolen copy of The Apostle and share information about thefts of copies of The Apostle or other similar books committed worldwide over the past decade. Bondar asked members of the public to refrain from joining in a campaign to discredit the Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine. The library employee proposed to use the event as an excuse to improve the preservation conditions of old printed books by providing public funds for modern protection measures, especially video security.
We asked experts, including those working in the provinces, how should we respond to the treasure’s theft, and what could prevent such situations from reoccurring in the future.
“IT IS A TRAGIC LESSON AND A WARNING FOR EMPLOYEES OF MUSEUMS AND ARCHIVES”
Serhii HALCHENKO, executive director of the All-Ukrainian Association of Museums:
“This is an outrageous case. Library staff were not very vigilant about people’s access to the old printed books which are this rare. This is not about one sheet, but rather about a very voluminous book. I do not want to blame anyone, but stealing such a publication without the help of library staff would have been extremely difficult.
“Over my 40 years of service in the museum-archival system, I have learned of many cases of great many items being stolen from museums and libraries of Ukraine. Unfortunately, we have learned nothing from these facts. In some cases, central archives lost whole complexes of rare documents due to thefts, ranging from hetmans’ universals to manuscripts of classic European and Ukrainian writers, including Voltaire. Rarities are returned sometimes. But the leadership of museum-archival institutions should invest more in security. I mean installation of modern security alarm systems and establishing clear rules for letting outsiders to access old printed books. Ukraine should develop a common methodology for multiple-stage access to such materials, and we would do well to learn from the experience of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine’s Shevchenko Institute of Literature.
“Also, it is important to discuss conditions for work with these unique materials. First of all, rarities of this class should be checked out only as a last resort, and under the strict supervision of employees of the museum or library in question. Otherwise, they should be accessed primarily as facsimile copies and electronic versions. For instance, to mark the anniversary of Taras Shevchenko, we published facsimile editions of his Greater Book and Small Book [manuscript collections of the Bard of Ukraine’s poems. – Ed.] as well as other Shevchenko rarities. The reproduction quality is highly impressive. The same should be done with books of the 16th to 18th century.
“I saw The Apostle priced at 150,000 dollars by our press. In my opinion, it is a very modest and much too low price. These publications are just priceless. The theft of The Apostle is a tragic lesson and a warning for all employees of museums and archives, as well as a national challenge.”
“WE MUST HAVE SERIOUS CHECKS FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE ACCESS TO RARITIES”
Mykola ZHULYNSKY, director of the Shevchenko Institute of Literature, the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, academician:
“It is a catastrophic event for a country that has laid bare several issues at once. Where was the book stolen? At the central library, which can justly be called the best library in this country, where all conditions for the storage and protection of rarities ought to be met. When I heard about The Apostle’s theft, it immediately brought to mind two events, first of them the terrible fire that occurred at the Institute of Scientific Information of Social Sciences (INION)’s library of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow at the beginning of 2015. As far as I know, the fire losses included unique old printed books, monuments of the 16th to 18th centuries’ culture. This had to be a warning for us here in Ukraine. The second event was the terrible fire in the Kyiv Public Library of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR in the spring of 1964. We have not learned our lessons.
“For many years, we have been bemoaning the lack of funding for the preservation of museum exhibits and unique collections of old printed books held in Ukraine. At the moment, our government should focus utmost attention on an immediate inspection which would update our registry of valuables from our collections, and first of all, our old printed books. We need to establish whereabouts of every item, every copy.
Photo from the website WIKIMEDIA.ORG
“The trouble is that these thefts involve those who have access to rarities. This is alarming. I do not want to say that such complicity could have been present in this case, but in general, previous similar cases in Ukraine indicate that we deal with criminal organizations. We need serious checks for people who have access to the preservation and maintenance of such collections.
“I have been advocating and lobbying for 25 years to get a special archive built to store manuscript collections of classic Ukrainian writers and literary heritage publications. First of all, we need to do it for our collection No. 1, I mean the Taras Shevchenko Collection. I have copies of numerous presidential decrees ordering the establishment of the Shevchenko House research, cultural, and information center. All presidents gave instructions to their Cabinets, prime ministers instructed themselves to begin construction of the Shevchenko House, but no material steps have been taken.
“Today we rent a proper facility where our collections are well-preserved and secure. But we rent it because we have no facility of our own... From Leonid Kuchma to Viktor Yushchenko, from Yulia Tymoshenko to Mykola Azarov – all of them only promised to provide it… I firmly believe that Ukraine should create a special dedicated facility with proper storage rooms and modern standards of storage and protection of priceless items.”
“LIBRARIES MUST BE EQUIPPED WITH SECURITY CAMERAS”
Julia ZIULEVA, academic secretary of the Dnipropetrovsk Cyril and Methodius Regional Universal Research Library:
“Our library includes the sector of rare and valuable documents, which houses approximately 35,000 books. Among them, publications of the 16th and 17th centuries and some rare editions are the oldest, but the most valuable of them were lost during World War II, when the library was hit by a bomb in 1943. For storage and use of rare books, we have most typical rules: they must be stored in special cabinets located in a room equipped with an alarm system. These items may not be taken out of the reading room even for photocopying. A librarian should be present in the room at all times.
“I cannot recall any cases of theft of rare and valuable books from our library, but a patron once tried to tear a few pages from a book. He was deprived of the right to use our library, nothing more.
“I think that to ensure secure preservation of books, reading rooms and other library facilities should be equipped with security cameras. This would help eliminate the damage to books and their theft. However, at present, our libraries have neither technical capabilities nor financial resources for it. They have security cameras at the entrance at best, but it does not guarantee complete security.”
“COMPLIANCE WITH INSTRUCTIONS AND WORKING SECURITY IS ENOUGH TO AVOID SUCH INCIDENTS”
Liudmyla STASIUK, director of the Volyn Olena Pchilka State Regional Universal Library:
“We have a separate rare literature collection in our structure, which houses 3,000 books. They came to us in many ways, including through confiscation at customs, but we get only three to five books a year in this manner. From time to time, we review our own collections, especially of the Polish period, and some books get the status of rare or valuable precisely for Lutsk and Volyn as a result. Our library is a licensed expert in determining the value of literature confiscated at customs, and when working with potential users of such literature in the collection of rare books, we rely on instructions. As long as they are strictly adhered to, no incidents are likely. In addition, the government funds the library’s security.
“We check out rare books only in the relevant department or in a reading room. A librarian must monitor behavior of every such patron. Actually, we know by name every person who is likely to approach us with a request for a rare book. Lutsk is not a big city... But in any case, the book will not be checked out if the patron has not formulated their subject of interest and proved that the book is required for their effort. Also, we periodically take stock of rare books. Compliance with instructions and working security is enough to avoid any incidents similar to what happened with The Apostle.”
“EVERY BOOK IS CHECKED OUT AND IN WITH A CERTIFICATE OF INSPECTION”
Natalia PUSHKAR, chief keeper of collections of the Volyn Regional Museum:
“Of course, we, too, get requests from people who need to work with a rare book. But these books are never taken out of the department in which they are kept. The patron works with us, before our eyes, and every book is checked out and in with a certificate of inspection. According to the instructions, we have to check every page in this book after a patron worked with it – even before our eyes! We check every page for tear and damage...
“The currently discussed issue is whether books of The Apostle’s class should be checked out at all. If there is a justification for such request and authorization of our management, which also adheres to instructions, we, as well as a library which is a mass-access public institution, should, of course, check out the book. But apart from following instructions, we must, I think, rely on our own common sense, our understanding what treasures, what valuables are entrusted to us. Without this, what instruction would be of use?”
The Day’s FACT FILE
The Apostle (1564), also known as The Moscow Apostle and The Acts of the Apostles Written by Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke is the first dated book to be printed in Russia. It was printed by Ivan Fyodorov and Pyotr Mstislavets in 1563-64. Russian book historian Evgeny Nemirovsky suggested in his 2010 study The Great Book about the Book that about 2,000 copies of The Apostle were printed. Of these, 23 copies were kept in Moscow, 13 in St. Petersburg, 3 in Kyiv, while Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, and Lviv had 2 copies each in 2010. Around 20 more of them were kept in cities all over the world.
