“The painful problem of the Ukrainian language will remain painful until Ukrainians seize full political power. I recommend young people to speak Ukrainian, to think in Ukrainian — this is our higher goal.”
Recently Drahomanov National Pedagogic University held a readers conference called “Shaping the historical memory of youth” (based on the newspaper’s publications).
The organizers from both sides had prepared thoroughly and with full responsibility to this meeting. They met for the first time. But they have had long-time and close relations. Many teachers and students are regular subscribers to the newspaper, readers of its books, especially the initial ones, which have already become cult publications — Ukraina Incognita, Dvi Rusi (Two Rus’es), Viiny i myr (Wars and Peace), while some of them are even contributors to the newspaper. The students have many times undergone internship at The Day ’s Summer School of Journalism.
In its turn, The Day takes interest in the university’s life and gives publications about the events taking place within its walls. So, it is no surprise that the meeting practically started from the impressions, as it happens in closer acquaintance. And it does not matter that we had communicated at a distance before that. It is important that we are like-minded, and it can be said that we are following the same orbit.
Below are the most interesting, in our opinion, speeches, impressions, questions, and answers.
Viktor ANDRUSHCHENKO, rector of the Drahomanov National Pedagogic University:
“At the meeting of the European education ministers in Kosovo it was resolved that one should rehabilitate the history. It is true that of all the disciplines on the curriculum Ukraine’s history, especially that of the 20th century, has undergone probably the gravest falsifications and ideologization. How can it be rehabilitated? Apparently, it is reasonable to organize discussions among Ukrainian scholars and scholars from different countries, such as Russia, Poland, Romania, etc. One should bring out high-quality publications, like Den does, publish books united by the Ukraina Incognita Series (because Ukraine still remains terra incognita for many people). The Day’s Library Series is a precious present for all generations. For, no matter who says and what, books are the greatest achievement of the civilization. Humankind lives only because the experience is passed on through books. Ms. Ivshyna, thank you for the meeting and an opportunity to communicate.”
Larysa Ivshyna, Den’s editor in chief:
“I am also grateful to you. You know I often have to answer the question, Why are you doing this? You don’t receive any government orders for publishing books. We are doing this because, as Mr. Andrushchenko has just said, history can best restore what has been lost in mentality and strengthen weakened identity for those who need it and give it to those who have not found it yet. For once a person has something living in his/her soul, with the help of history s/he can bring their life to a new, more qualitative and meaningful level.
“I acquired this understanding after the results of the presidential elections in 1999. I wrote in the preface to the two-volume edition Extract-150, which was published last year in The Day’s Library Series, ‘When Ukraine missed its chance at the presidential elections, I understood that this ‘rain’ will be long-lasting. At the time I told myself a grandiose phrase: ‘we will take care of society.’ And owing to cooperation with Ukraine’s most patriotic party, the party of Ukrainian historians, we have jointly created, in my opinion, a very strong library, Ukraina Incognita, an addition to the Ukrainian passport.
“At the moment our library comprises eight books. Why do I value it so highly? Why did I think that it would educate me as well? Owing to the establishment of our library, I started arranging this environment in which it has been more interesting for me to live through the latest century.
“The same refers to my visits to universities. I told about them in the collection My Universities published in those pre-historical times when I had not visited your alma mater yet. We had similar meetings, as we are having today, discussed urgent problems of historical debate, and sought new contributors. And on each my return home my confidence grew: yes, this will be a long-lasting rain, but one can go through it in different ways. In my opinion, by meeting each other halfway and cooperating, we are creating what is called social capital. This will be a new feeling, a new kind of knowledge, and a new quality for the newspaper, and hopefully, for universities as well.
“Perhaps, it will be hard for some people to understand why I am speaking about 1999, whereas for many people, especially young people, the historical countdown started in 2004. But in reality we, as analysts, journalists, historians, and professors, should form a broad diaphragm that would embrace much more events. At the time we were writing in a way absolutely different from many others, although it is absolutely clear that all of us, our partners and students, actively supported the people’s demand for a new kind of policy, which was actually symbolized by the Maidan. Back in 1997 we created an electronic archive, and in 1999 we recorded the newspaper’s archives on three CDs. You can find many people who did not want their archives to be preserved, but we, at The Day, are sure that it is not simply an alibi before the history but our duty. It is hard to keep an eye on everything, but at some point in the future they will be studying our times. These archives are accessible for scholarly research. I know that they served as a basis for the theses of the university students from Chernivtsi and Zaporizhia, as well as Ostroh Academy. Therefore, I invite you to have a closer look at them, form your impressions, and write reviews. It often happens after this kind of discussions that young people start actively sending their responses to the newspaper and writing about significant events in their lives.
“Four years ago the Ostroh Club of Intellectual Communication of Youth was created in Odesa. Everything started from the question coming from an Odesa University student who asked me about the national idea. I replied that it would be more interesting for him to come, for example, to Ostroh Academy and speak about this with his peers. Honestly, I am getting tired of those endless talks about the national idea. The national idea should be practiced. Imagine, young Odesa residents have never been to western Ukraine. What kind of national idea can we be talking about when young people do not know each other? They do not have any personal impressions. The television does not provide with communications. Having received immense possibilities for freedom of expression, we have established self-isolation of segments inside the country. The generation of people is growing up who have not the slightest idea about each other on the territorial level.
“This is the way the Ostroh Club was established. For me it was important to see that, for example, when the session of the Ostroh Club is taking place in Chernivtsi – it takes over 24 hours for the young people from Sevastopol to get there – they cover this way in order to see other young people who want to take an active part in the civic life and the future. I am very interested in their credo. It was pleasant when journalists from the French television (the Ukrainian one, unfortunately, does not care about this at the moment) were looking for our Kharkiv students.
“Therefore, I am speaking about history, historical memory, not as it were archival knowledge. This is a currently relevant task and need for everyone. All people, not only young, should revise their erudition. For many of them studied in Soviet schools, whereas some of them have not studied anything whatsoever.
“I can recall the publication ‘Science with beer, or The logic of national dignity against the logic of vulgar rudeness’ (Den No. 39-40, March 5-6, 2010). I am speaking about an incident when the students of Kyiv Mohyla Academy rose in protest against the visit of one gentleman, who, to put it mildly, spoke in press in an uncivil manner about Ukrainian history. And it is very important that a civil action took place. But why should we be fostering historians who are filled with history but are still incapable of any action? So, it seems to me the most meaningful thing is to make your lifestyle the belief that people can take historical knowledge and eventually form a new, different generation.”
Liubov MATSKO, academician of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences, professor:
“Above all, I want to thank Ms. Ivshyna for the interesting newspaper. I have been reading Den since its initial issues. I have never written letters of gratitude or touching responses to your editorial office. But I want to say that I don’t go to sleep until I read the newspaper. At first, my husband reads nearly all the materials. He marks with a red pencil what I must look through before I go to sleep. Then our children snatch the newspaper. Den is a family paper for us. It is a family one not only because our entire family reads it, but also because it promotes Ukrainian family, traditions, and culture, and shapes the national-cultural identity. I know the names of many of your contributors, such as Losiev, Liesnoi, Kulchytsky, Panchenko, etc. There is an interesting selection of publications about Ukraine through the eyes of the foreign press. I am especially grateful for the projects ‘What kind of Russia do I love?’ and ‘What kind of Ukraine do I love?’ This is a very graceful move towards our neighbors. And this is namely the way we should cognize the world surrounding us and turn our foes into friends, not vice versa.
“Your newspaper is interesting to me as a model of Ukrainian journalism. For a long time I have been tormented by the thought I have expressed in the Academy of Presidential Management: in times of Soviet Ukraine there was more of Ukrainian journalism. Now nearly all Ukrainian universities have opened journalism departments. Where are their graduates? I have recently met a graduate I taught who specializes in publishing, literary editing, and journalism. I asked her in what periodicals she works. It appeared that 70 percent of her jobs are in Russian-language periodicals. Why? Because there are no Ukrainian-language ones. Who should think about this? We train them for Ukrainian-language periodicals. And it appears that there is no possibility for them to work according to their profession.
“I advise my students to read Den, because it is a newspaper showing the level of the Ukrainian culture of speech. I recommend everyone to read the Ukrainian press in order to develop their culture, both universal and national.
“I was envious when you, Ms. Ivshyna, went from one university to another. I was thinking, Why didn’t you visit ours? And finally you have come. Thank you for this meeting as well as for the possibility to buy books.”
L.I.: “Once the philosopher Serhii Krymsky told me a didactic story. It happened in Soviet times. A noted Moscovite came to Kyiv, where he had a meeting with his colleagues — physicists, philosophers, etc. And he said, ‘Why are you pestering us with your language? I would understand if you fought for shooting rockets. But what can you do with the help of language?’ They wanted to throw him out of the window for such words. The painful problem of the Ukrainian language will remain painful until Ukrainians seize full political power. I recommend young people to speak Ukrainian, to think in Ukrainian — this is our higher goal. What does it mean — in Ukrainian? To beg in Ukrainian? What should one do in Ukrainian in Ukraine? We should also speak about this with our youth.”
Olha KHARYTONENKO, teacher, Department of Journalism:
“In our university we are training publishers and journalists who in a matter of a decade will make the face of the domestic information space. I recall the words of one scholar who said that there are few analytic publications in Ukraine. In order to write analytic material, a journalist should have some views. Unfortunately, most of journalists don’t have any. Luckily, we have the newspaper Den. You always stress that in 1999 Ukrainians made a choice after which petty politics has gripped our lives. So, let us change our priorities and give the floor to historians and ordinary people who have something to say. Thus, let us change ourselves.
“I want to mention in short the polemics carried out by Lesia Ukrainka 100 years ago. The historian and journalist Hankevych wrote in his publication ‘Politics and ethics’ (newspaper Moloda Ukraina, 1902) that politics tends to corrupt human character. I think that almost everyone in the audience will sign under these words. By the way, I was surprised by Lesia Ukrainka’s reaction: she called everything written by Hankevych emotions, not politics. She considered that it was not politics that corrupts the character, but the characters that corrupt politics.
“She added that there are not enough interesting characters and strong personalities who want and can influence society and the course of history. I am pleased that Den has been preserving its character for over a decade. You are not alone. You have like-minded people in us. You are our guideline.”
Ivan DROBOT, head of the Institute of Philosophical Education and Science, Drahomanov National Pedagogical University:
“I want to speak about the problems that find reflection on Den’s pages to a larger or smaller extent (I have been reading your newspaper since its early issues). As a historian, I am thankful to your newspaper for working so much to remove historical gaps, which plays a positive role in the formation of civil society. The Day has wonderful contributors, such as Ivan Dziuba, Mykola Zhulynsky, Oxana Pachlovska, and Volodymyr Panchenko. I suggest considering the possibility of cooperation with Prof. Miednikova, who is a wonderful culture expert.
“The Day has practically established a historical club on its pages. Why not found a club of cultural studies? I have one more proposal: Philosophy for Children, a wonderful project, a UNESCO project, which is being actively developed in the Institute of Philosophy. Also, Ms. Ivshyna, pay attention to our students: they are very talented. For example, Serhii Rusakov, a fifth-year student, has over 50 publications. In a word, we are ready for cooperation.”
Volodymyr ZHATKO, head of the Department of Journalism:
“Thank you, Ms. Ivshyna, for the Summer School of Journalism. And I want to ask Mr. Andrushchenko to invite the editor in chief to give a master class in our university. You see, theory is one thing, whereas a master class is something we need today. People should pass on their experience.
“Furthermore, Ms. Ivshyna, thank you for lighting James Mace’s candle. It was your newspaper that suggested and spread from year to year the idea of a candle in the window to commemorate the innocent people who perished in the time of the Holodomor and political repressions.
“Den is the only newspaper that does not wait for the reader to come to it — rather it goes to the reader itself. This example should be followed, as today’s readers are of a peculiar kind. They are told one thing in the Donetsk region, and another thing in Lviv. You have put it right by saying that the question of historical memory is raised in our country in the way as it were a past day. But historical memory is present day and the future.
“Five years ago The Day organized a regional ethnography roundtable. It was followed by the creation of a column, ‘Towns, cities, and villages of Ukraine.’ I wish you to move on bravely. Under the guidance of Mr. Andrushchenko I have finished the 1,500-page encyclopedia of the Cherkasy region. I must say that frequently the history of villages is based on myths and legends. We should move away from this, because there are documents and church books, and they should be the foundation of research.”
QUESTIONS
Anton DROBOVYCH, student at the Institute of Philosophical Education and Science, holder of the grant of the President of Ukraine:
“I met Ms. Ivshyna some 1.5 years ago and we started speaking eagerly. At the time, I was surprised to notice that she knew about our student problems and cared about resolving them.
“This was a sort of digression. Now I want to ask a question. I have read with admiration the book Viiny i myr from The Day’s Library Series. In its preface you speak about the problem of dedication of monuments that are erected in Ukraine. Further you note, for good reason, that the absence of monuments to worthy people indicates that there is a lack of respect for our past. What would you say about simulator monuments like the one erected to commemorate Shchors?
“The next question occurred to me during this meeting: you have said that one should talk less about the national idea but rather practice it. I agree. Shouldn’t it be conceptualized?”
Larysa IVSHYNA: “I also remember our meeting. As for the monuments, I have previously spoken about the difference in the maturity level of humanitarian fields in our country. Of course, central and eastern Ukraine was part of the USSR twice as long as western Ukraine. This has left its mark not only on the historical landscape, but also on a variety of processes.
“As for the monuments, Kyiv has stuck in this question, although it has been the center where impulses from western Ukraine would come. Recall the referendum of 1991, which was an extraordinary result. Afterwards the politicians appeared who were incapable of directing this powerful manifestation of energy in the right way. But it has not disappeared. We simply should create instrumental policy, which would support the nation’s energy.
“At the moment we are witnesses to the second wave of coming back to the topic of monuments. Everything has been worn out during the first one. But I believe that unless we have a new architecture language, we should not build for the sake of building. It is better to create a park, a garden, or a fountain. The architectural language is ripening.
“As for the monuments to Shchors and Lenin, the best decision would be to gather them in one ‘park’ of Soviet period, and at the same time launch an information portal explaining who those ‘heroes’ were. But on the whole, the context of Soviet times cannot be written off. These things does not allow us to forget about them. At first they should be provided with a necessary packing to make them relatively safe for a certain period of time. Therefore, at first one should dismantle the blockages of national memory and understand what approach to what things should be applied.
“However, we cannot say that we should allow the topic of World War II to be interpreted by Russia the way it likes, because Russians have undertaken the role of the Soviet Union’s heirs. Ukraine, with its fronts, soldiers, and commanders, made a crucial contribution to the victory over Fascism. This is not contradictory to the fact that the resistance movement which existed on the west-Ukrainian territory included a courageous part of Ukrainians who fought against Germans and the NKVD alike. And they also deserve to be remembered. This is a part of our historical past, which actually should boost the people, not evoke rows. But for this much clever and patient, not aggressive, work should be conducted. The topic of monuments needs indeed a well-reasoned and cultural approach.
“As for the national idea, this is a deep basis which should be conceptualized. Why do I pay so much attention to practicing it? For example, James Mace was among the first to broach the topic of the Holodomor in Ukraine. His contribution to the historical science is significant. He explained the national communism of the 20th century from the point of view which could be comprehended at the moment only by Mace, a man from a free world. But in the same way, his put into practice his studies and conclusions he made. This is the way the idea of the candle in the window emerged. I am saying that instead of speaking about the Holodomor so much during the memorial days, we should perhaps remember about this tragedy. Always. This is a kind of groundwork that needs to be done by the government to make it go into the foundation of the humanitarian and social policy. Different areas mature differently in understanding this topic. Therefore, from what plane should one start the conversation about the national idea?
“Speaking about the first sanitary norm, it should be simple – to heal the traumas, or set the national task of recreating the political nation as the most important task. We have not acquired this to the full extent as political Ukrainians: in terms of our economy, culture, and the dynamics of the entire organism. We need practical steps for this work: both philosophical support, and energetic management. This is a huge national project — to bring back to Ukraine itself, in a better, modern shape, and there are two words that designate this project: identity and modernization.”
Oleksandr RAVCHYV, fifth-year student, deputy head of the student council:
At the moment, your newspaper, which pays great attention to history, is successfully competing in the conditions of high-tech, the Internet, electronic publications, Facebook, etc. What place will The Day take in the future?
L.I.: “I think that if we don’t do today what we are doing, what will people be discussing on the Internet afterwards? We cannot leave history, at least for the reason that wherever we work, especially abroad, we must understand that people without identity are not interesting to anyone. Any European, be that a Scot, Irish, or Italian, will tell you who s/he is and what their attitude to this is. Thus, every nation brings a unique aroma to the EU bouquet.
“Knowledge of history gives a feeling that you are standing on solid ground. For example, people speak little of the fact that politicians are responsible for the 1933 tragedy. And the people, of course. For example, Poles, when they were facing the threat, consolidated around Jozef Pilsudski. Ukrainians allowed Communists-Bolsheviks to divide them and make brothers fight against each other. But is there anyone today who says that these mistakes are being repeated before our eyes? Therefore, I understand that you are worried that Den may become a marginal publication. However, a lot of readers call it progressive and high-quality. And we would like to have more of these top-notch things, in all spheres of our life.
“By the way, Harvard has alotted a million euros for a historical project on comparing and studying the key historical moments of Poland, Ukraine, and Russia. This indicates that the world pays immense attention to the restoration of this part of Europe. This moment gives hope. After all, we should understand that the war going on in the world is not only about oil and gas but also a place in history.”
Viktor KYSELIOV:
“Ms. Ivshyna, how do you understand the notion of culture? I view the newspaper Den not only as an intellectual newspaper, but also as a cultural one. If I said that I cannot go to sleep without this newspaper, you might think that I go to sleep while reading it. I want it to remain the way I have liked it for all these years. This is a nationwide publication, and I wish to all Ukraine to stay awake with it.”
L.I.: “I am truly thankful. Den is read by cultured people, which it is already a criterion. We have a contributor, Viktor Zoloty from the Mykolaiv region, who has already submitted three publications to our newspaper. Once he asked where he could buy Oxana Pachlovska’s book Ave, Europe! This is how our correspondence began. It seems to me that in our age of capitalism we have lost understanding of the need to be close to our readers.
“Therefore, The Day tries to create the atmosphere of respect for a person who is striving for intellect. I think respect for intellect is the determinative feature of the cultured atmosphere on the whole. Without it there is no sense in asking why things do not go the way we like. Against the background of ruination, devaluation, and degradation it is not so simple to bring back respect for intellect and culture.
“Once it occurred to me to make an advertising poster that Den is a newspaper for the country we don’t have yet. But then I was told that it was pessimistic. Basically, we are embodying the clients, project designers, who implement the project of the country we want to see. As a space architect I believe that our vision is possible to put in life. I have become convinced in this from my own experience. Nobody gave money specially for publishing the books from The Day’s Library Series. By the way, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation ordered new print runs of our four books for all schools of Donetsk oblast (none of the patriotic oblasts has ever paid attention to this). I am speaking now about the ambiguous world surrounding us and the need to study Ukraine deeply, travel across it, and get acquainted with Ukrainians in the east and in the west. I am trying to have my acquaintances meet each other. On March 22, there will be a presentation of Lina Kostenko’s Berestechko. Of course, I am going to attend this event and invite our best contributors to join me.”
Liubov MATSKO:
How is your newspaper planning to mark Lina Kostenko’s jubilee?
L.I.: “Lina Kostenko does not like to have her birthday celebrated. It is known that she will come to the presentation of Berestechko in order to meet her readers. We very much honor the poetess and will write about the new books that are published. Kostenko reacts very painfully to every inapt word. Therefore, the responsibility for communication with her is very large.”
Oksana BAKAI, third-year student, Philology Department:
Do you have any strategy of highlighting the historical questions? What epoch of Ukrainian history are you interested in the most?
L.I.: “I wanted to make conceptual centers from the publications of our contributors. I mean, about the relations between Ukraine and Russia, Ukraine and Poland. And about Ukraine with its domestic problems. We have not yet finished the project about our relations with Turkey, as there are very few Turkologists. But there are other topics: How could we miss to write serious research about the problem of the Holodomor? It happened so that James Mace, after coming to Ukraine, was working at The Day. Afterwards, owing to the fact that Klara Gudzyk was working in the newspaper, who by the way became a journalist when she was over 60, we published her religious studies books Apokryfy…. This is the strategy: the key questions of history, religion, culture, and ethics.
“I can say that in Extract-150 we went up the vertical, a tree, gathering fruit which remained on the branches of history. In journalism one can distinguish between two kinds of publications: advertisement posts and trees. Trees with roots and a crown growing, wither, have some problems, and yet they bear fruit as any living organism. Meanwhile, advertisement posts are standing everywhere, but they do not bring forth fruit.”
Natalia KAMBAROVA, third-year student, Philology Department:
You annually organize photo exhibits and publish books. Do you plan to create or support some literary, pedagogical, or culture-studies projects?
L.I.: “Once The Day came to Pryluky. People came like they used to come to see visiting lecturers. At the end of the meeting I said: Read The Day for your development. Suddenly I saw some woman come to keep somebody company. In order to entertain her I said, if you feel unwell, apply the newspaper to your head – it has a positive charge of energy. Everybody laughed. I think that woman got the joke. Apparently, we cannot discuss with everybody things we discuss here with you. But every person reacts to sincerity. And our photo exhibit is proof of this.
“I have many ideas. There should be a proportion between those who produce ideas and those who implement them. We will definitely invent something new and viable. Join us!”
