The Sumy region sits right at the frontier with the aggressor nation, and it preserves and defends its Ukrainian identity. This is reflected not only in the names of local shops and language of adverts, but in extemporaneous Ukrainian-lettered graffiti as well. One can say that the Sumy region serves as a litmus test of sorts, an indicator of the patriotic mentality produced at an interface between the organic Ukrainian world and hostile information injections. Do not forget that the Russian border is just 32 kilometers away from Sumy. Characteristically, when Den’s journalists went there, they were able to watch two Russian films glorifying Moscow when riding a minibus to Sumy, and on the way back, they watched Ukrainian TV shows instead where Ukraine was denigrated. It was indicative of the “Little Russian” subservient mentality and brainwashing propagandist effort as bad as that of Soviet “punitive medicine.” However, Den’s tours of Ukraine aim precisely at eroding such postcolonial atavisms. We protect the Ukrainian day as opposed to the occupation night which has fallen on Crimea and the Donbas.
In a prologue to the opening of Den’s photo exhibition at the Sumy City Gallery, our contributors delivered speeches to members of the Sumy State University’s community. First, historian Ihor Siundiukov presented to the public the book My Sister Sofia…, which was published in September 2016, and made a brief excursion into the range of books which Den publishes year after year. In his opening word, president of the Charitable Foundation in Support of the Newspaper Den’s Initiatives Mykola Hrytsenko noted that Den keeps abreast of both history and current affairs. Moreover, without thoughtful study of history, both distant and recent, it is impossible to draw conclusions about the ills of today. Our Muscovite enemy, on the contrary, not only remembers our history, but is also trying to rewrite and steal it, using every means at its disposal.
“The rationale for publishing My Sister Sofia... goes far beyond the problems of Ukrainian-Bulgarian relations,” said Siundiukov. “Den’s editor-in-chief Larysa Ivshyna compares Ukraine and Bulgaria to two sisters who were separated for a long time. Our countries have met extreme difficulties in their struggle for statehood. And now we are faced with a difficult civilizational choice again. Bulgaria, having spent decades under the Kremlin influence in the Soviet era, has finally made a choice in favor of the Western civilization. But it is not so simple, because the newly elected president of Bulgaria holds clearly pro-Russian views. It is dangerous not only for Bulgaria, but also for Ukraine. We must urgently draw the appropriate conclusions from our shared history and instead of looking to the Kremlin for guidance, look at each other.”
Participants of the conversation recalled Ivshyna’s statement that in the current context and amid current challenges, Ukraine needs internal integration first before integrating with foreign partners. Den sees itself as a brick in building the Ukrainian state, but efforts of a lone newspaper are definitely not enough.
Of course, such events have long-lasting effect only when they involve interactivity and two-way communication. We were glad to see it there. For instance, librarians of the UABS Educational and Research Institute of Business Technology left the following collective feedback message after the meeting with Den’s contributors: “High intellectual level of Den’s experts, their thorough professional knowledge of history, culture, and politics, accessibility of presentation, grammatically correct speech, vast experience in working with information – all that was evident to those present from the start to the very end of the meeting. We wish the newspaper prosperity and top-notch creative achievements.”
In another attempt to establish dialog, Den held a photo exhibition which was opened on January 20 as well at the Sumy City Gallery (27 Soborna Street). Speaking at the event, Hrytsenko, having conveyed the editor-in-chief Ivshyna’s greetings to all present (and this included mayor and city councilors as well as a lot of regular Sumy citizens and war refugees, who have been taken in by Sumy, among other cities), noted: “Those present are people who realize the importance of public education, history, local history, and sociological research. This is very pleasant and important. Den’s book projects have been launched to ensure that people do not just read, but draw conclusions. Sumy residents have asked us to make these books available in their libraries.” It is therefore logical that during the event, we held the traditional fundraiser “Donate Den’s Library Books to Your School,” which saw the Komyshi, Mala Pavlivka, Romny school libraries and 11 schools of the Nedryhailiv raion as well as library systems of the Sumy oblast and the city of Sumy receiving sets of books from Den’s Library series and subscriptions to the newspaper, all paid for by regional councilors Volodymyr Zubko, Hennadii Svirskyi, deputy head of the regional council Tetiana Holovko, and honorary citizen of Sumy Anatolii Yepifanov.
“DEN’S PHOTO EXHIBITION IN SUMY IS ALWAYS A CELEBRATION!”
Ihor ROICHENKO, executive secretary of the Photographers’ Union of Ukraine in Sumy oblast:
“Den’s photo exhibition is truly a sample of the country’s life. And since I am also working in a local history museum, this exhibition has been very informative for me. It covers every aspect of life in Ukraine. I still remember Den’s photo exhibition in 1997; it was held in Sobor Art Center and it was a great celebration for the city! This year, like in every previous one, the exhibition is very emotional. And I’m most touched by the photo The Garden Deprived of Love by Oleksandr Klymenko. I love photographing apples very much, and this picture shows apples that people could not gather because of war. The photo has no people in it, not a single person, but it pierces deep into the soul... It shows the entire tragedy of our life: an apple tree bear fruits, but we cannot make anything of its fruits, since there is grief and war all around... This is the mood of our time, our epoch.”
“A FUNDAMENTAL PROJECT”
Yurii HLADENKO, Center for Territory Development and Social Marketing “Trytoriia”:
“I like how the newspaper Den presents analytical articles. Apart from topical everyday moments, this publication highlights the historical and cultural components. This shows that the project is fundamental. I cannot name any other medium similar to Den.”
“A DIALOG WITHOUT WORDS”
Viktor OSADCHYI, representative of the Charitable Foundation in Support of the Newspaper Den’s Initiatives in Sumy Oblast:
“I came from the country, one can say from the very heartland. I am following Den newspaper and I was eager to see the photo exhibition, about which I read so much. Of course, for us – so to speak, ordinary people – this newspaper is a bit complicated. Every line is brimming with powerful intellect. This paper should be read with a pencil in hand, thought over, and then re-read again. And this is just the start of the hard work of becoming a true Ukrainian. But the exhibition talks to us without words. These thoughts and emotions are available to us through the eyes and are close to every Ukrainian. One who struggles with reading, can see.”
“DEN SHOWS THE UNDERCURRENTS OF OUR REALITY”
Viktor CHERNIAK, chairman of the NGO “Open Society”:
“I can only say that Sumy and the surrounding villages are pro-Ukrainian. But the eastern parts of the oblast are rather pro-Russian. And we should take it into account and the state should build the information policy accordingly. I remember 1999. We must recognize that it was the time of the break which brought irreversible outcomes. Then Ukrainians could have chosen a worthy president – Yevhen Marchuk. We should say about it directly. Unfortunately, those elections cannot be called elections. It was felt already in 1999 that the Kuchma clan did everything to usurp the power. They would have never allowed for any alternatives. For Ukraine, this reality became fatal. It hurts me, and when I open the newspaper Den, the awareness of this reality echoes with a deep regret. It is the only publication that does not pursue superficial topics and that refrains from distorting reality to its advantage – on the contrary, it shows the undercurrents of our reality. After all, we, Ukrainians, could live in a different country and there would not have been those thousands of deaths. I am surprised when someone calls Kuchma a statesman. I am convinced that the loss of territories and the war are the consequences of the lack of statist thinking on behalf of those who took power in the mid-1990s and actually still holds it under various pretexts.”
“WE ARE THANKFUL FOR DEN’S LIBRARY”
Olha MALYSH, head of Regional Literature and Bibliography Department at Sumy Oblast Library:
“It was very nice to see our city the next choice for hosting Den’s photo exhibition after Kyiv. I am very impressed with the photos of our heroes, as well as the photographs of children, family photos... Through the Charitable Foundation in Support of the Newspaper Den’s Initiatives our library has got books from your Den’s Library series – and we are very grateful for that! Our readers will be very happy. After all, your books raise questions that are extremely important for adults – to open a new page of our history – and for the younger generation alike – so that the latter can get an informed outlook on their state.”
