The war affected all spheres of public life without exception, touched every citizen of Ukraine. Librarians have accepted all the challenges created by the war and are jointly looking for solutions to overcome the current problems and threats.
The relations that librarians of Ukraine build among themselves in the conditions of the Russian-Ukrainian war can be briefly characterized as follows - «Own to own on own».
Since last December, the Central City Library named after M.L. Kropyvnytskyi, Mykolaiv, has two sister libraries from Lutsk and Kharkiv.
"The Hero City of Kharkiv, the Hero City of Mykolaiv. Cities of heroes, cities-heroes. So, public libraries understand how people live in such difficult regions, which were a front-line areas. And Kharkiv still remains a front-line zone. So we understand what our readers need in such a difficult time. We understand how difficult life is for libraries in other regions. Not only from the front-line zone, but in general from all regions of Ukraine, all of Ukraine. So, we should support each other," says the deputy director of the Central City Library named after M.L. Kropyvnytskyi Liubov Variukhina.
In the winter of this year, the Mykolaiv librarians sent a package to Kharkiv with book gifts for their colleagues. Among the gifts were goodies, amulets and a painting by Vadym Pustylnyk depicting the Cat of Nothern Saltivka, which became a symbol of the indomitability of Ukrainians.
And on May 2, the staff of the Mykolaiv library received an unexpected and very pleasant surprise from the northeast of the country. Kharkiv librarians made a gift for their colleagues on the occasion of Easter. Everything is here - a tasty treat, more than 30 new Ukrainian books and comics, local history postcards and booklets dedicated to the northeastern Hero City.
"And perhaps the most poignant gift we received from our fellow librarians from Kharkiv is this guardian doll. It was created by Tetiana Volyk, a master of interior dolls. We are sincerely grateful to our colleagues. I think that this doll will protect our library, our library staff, our visitors and readers in such a difficult time, when we live during the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. We have another such patriotic and poignant gift for us - it is the chevron of the 227th Separate Battalion of the 127th Separate Brigade of the Territorial Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This is the same battalion that defended Kharkiv Oblast in May 2022," Liubov Variukhina notes.
The indomitable librarians of the south and northeast of Ukraine demonstrate by their own example that they are able to work even in conditions of war. After all, regular readers in Mykolaiv and Kharkiv must continue to live, including going to the library.
The indomitable librarians of the south and northeast of Ukraine demonstrate by their own example that they are able to work even in conditions of war. After all, regular readers in Mykolaiv and Kharkiv must continue to live, including going to the library.
