LVIV — A new bookstore opened at No. 33, Bandera St., on the former premises of a slot machine establishment. As the city council’s spokesperson told The Day, the premises were rented to the bookstore after a non-commercial contest, on condition that the winner will sell only Ukrainian books and magazines.
“The contemporary trend regarding Ukrainian-language bookstores is far from encouraging, so our city must provide a positive example by opening a bookstore instead of a slot machine establishment. I think that mayors of other cities ought to follow our lead,” said Andrii Sadovy, mayor of Lviv, during the inauguration of the new store. He also added that this is but the first swallow announcing the summer, as several more book stores will soon open in the city.
Among dignitaries who came to inspect book stalls were Ivan Vakarchuk, Rector of Ivan Franko National University and quite a few of Taras Shevchenko National Prize winners; the latter group included writers from Lviv (Roman Ivanychuk, Roman Lubkivsky and Ihor Kalynets), and guests from Kyiv — Mykhailo Slaboshpytsky and Maria Matios.
“Power, according to words of the classical philosopher, liketh to walk on crooked legs,” Maria Matios reminded those Lviv denizens who were present at the bookstore. “It’s nice that there are government officials who walk on straight legs and contribute to the opening of the bookstore.” At the same event Ihor Kalynets, a poet and social activist, praised the location of the new bookstore: “The Humanities High School and Lviv Polytechnic National University are close by, so the bookstore is situated in the right place.”
One can find both classical literature and contemporary authors’ works on the shelves of the bookstore. Queues immediately formed at the cash desk. According to Maria Kruten, the shop assistant, Antonych’s small-format Completed Works was one of the most popular books on the store’s first work day.
Let us recall that last year in October, Ukraine celebrated the centennial of Bohdan-Ihor Antonych’s (1909-37) birth. During the celebrations, Lviv libraries held thematic soirees, oral magazines, literary readings, book exhibitions... Les Kurbas Theatre presented a poetic installation Formula of Rapture, which was based on Antonych’s works, while the poet’s museum was opened at his former property in the village of Bortiatyn (Mostyska district of the Lviv province), where Antonych’s parents lived and died. With financial support from the Lviv city council, the publishing houses Litopys and Piramida published Antonych’s Complete Works and collection entitled Rotations. The Lion’s Book. Later this month, we will learn the names of the poet’s monument project competition finalists; the best project will be chosen from 38 proposals.
