On June 8, the Central City Library named after M.L. Kropyvnytskyi opened its doors for fans of board games for the second time at the board game festival "Mykolaiv Chip". In the game world, all participants are travelers. They really feel the effect of total immersion, which can be compared to reading a good book or watching an exciting movie. At the same time, the unfolding story is extremely important in this process, that is why the game keeps families and friends for many hours.

The opening of the festival was attended by: Mayor of Mykolaiv Oleksandr Senkevych, Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language Taras Kremin, Head of the Department for Culture and Cultural Heritage Protection of the Mykolaiv City Council Yurii Liubarov. Director of the Central City Library named after M.L. Kropyvnytskyi Inha Khorzhevska noted that Mykolaiv residents are interested in this festival. "We see that the main thing for Mykolaiv residents is the desire to spend time in this way. That all of us can not only use our gadgets and computers. We are also ready for live, offline communication. Ready to exchange something interesting."

"Today, the library is not just a place for reading. It is a place where people gather to exchange thoughts and positive emotions. And in general, a place where you can meet people from whom you can get new knowledge, some new experience," Oleksandr Senkevych emphasized. And Taras Kremin thanked the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: "Words of respect to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Territorial Defense Forces. Of course, to everyone who is here today. These are the rescuers, workers of the water supply company, library workers. To our talented and gifted children, who today give their parents great hope that, that this city is alive. It is rejuvenating. It is beautiful."

By playing a game, we learn to communicate with others, share ideas, use our minds to solve problems, coordinate actions with other players, and develop our empathy. These skills are quite important today, the head of the Department for Culture and Cultural Heritage Protection of the Mykolaiv City Council, Yurii Liubarov, is convinced: "I am very pleased that the library is becoming the center of the game, the center of your attention. I wish each of you to enjoy the game process itself. And only victories to all of us!"

The festival of board games provided positive emotions and drive to all participants without exception. During the day 19 locations operated on the territory of the Central City Library named after M.L. Kropyvnytskyi. All interested parties had the opportunity to play intellectual and tourist, corporate and sports board games.

For the guests and participants of the second "Mykolaiv Chip" the team of its ideological inspirers and organizers prepared pleasant novelties. This is a location for lovers, with a table for novelty games, a photo zone created by the library staff. The geography of partner participants has become more extensive. This time there were colleagues from Kherson among them.

"People came to us with their author's games. This is simply an extraordinary gift for us. We are very proud that the people of Mykolaiv will get to know it", - Inha Khorzhevska shares her emotions. Director of the Kherson Regional Library for Children named after Dnieper Chaika Olha Kryzhanovska and her deputy Iryna Kovach, author-developer of the local history board game "The Green Wonder of the Kherson region. Green Express", presented the participants of the festival with games thanks to which you can learn more about the animal and plant life of the Kherson region, its cultural peculiarities.

Many of them were interested in the game "Blue economy". Inna Tymchenko, Mykola Hrubyi, Diana Krysinska, Maryna Romanenko and Mykhailo Tymchenko are in the group of its developers. The idea of ​​the game is to gain knowledge of the blue economy. Each of the organized businesses is in one way or another connected with the Black Sea and the city of Mykolaiv. It is necessary to restore the food chain to restore the resources of the Black Sea.

On the playgrounds in the Central City Library named after M.L. Kropyvnyrskyi the participants of the “Mykolaiv Chip” festival had the opportunity to play the games of Patrol Police Department in the Mykolaiv region. Real battles took place at locations where classic board games were presented. Young and old people of Mykolaiv played chess and checkers with great pleasure and took part in a session of simultaneous game from our partners of the Children’s Youth Sport School "Mykolaiv Regional Chess and Checkers Club named after M. Shelest".

Youth Policy Department of the Mykolaiv City Council helped and supported the Central City Library named after M.L. Kropyvnytskyi in the organization and holding of the II festival of board games "Mykolaiv Chip".  The partners of the festival this year were the Main Department of the State Service of Ukraine for Emergency Situations in the Mykolaiv Region, the Department of the Patrol Police in the Mykolaiv Region, Municipal Enterprise of Mykolaiv City Council «Mykolaivvodokonal», the Kherson Regional Children's Library named after Dnieper Chaika, Mykolaiv City Youth Space, Mykolaiv Chess Club, Mykolaiv Regional Center of German Culture, Cultural and Artistic Association “Art-Spokusa”, NGO "Youth Center for Scientific Activities", META Charitable Fund "From Common Vision to Joint Actions", ILION Publishing House, book publisher Iryna Hudym, Balyasnykh Author's Confectionery, ST O.V. Tykhoniuk. We received volunteer support from the NGO "Center for Political Education", the NGO "Tangle of Skills", Students of the English Access Microscholarship Program of the US Embassy in Ukraine (Access), Technological and economic professional college of the Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences, Mykolaiv youth activists.

We thank all our partners and hope that the festival will become a good tradition and that next year we will meet again at the gaming tables in the the Central City Library named after M.L. Kropyvnytskyi. We thank our soldiers; we wish VICTORY to everyone!