“A new chain of meanings”

Launch of Den’s new book My Sister Sofia... was one of the highlights of the Publishers’ Forum, held in Lviv in mid-September. The September 16 launch was attended by dozens of press and TV photographers, and many guests had to stand in the aisles during it. Time was as limited as space, since 45 minutes was a painfully short time to discuss such a large project, and especially to respond to all the reactions that constantly appeared in the room. “Den launching its books at the Publishers’ Forum has become a good annual tradition,” our long-standing contributor, Professor of Franko National University of Lviv Yuliana Lavrysh said opening the meeting. “The book before us today is a completely new publication, entitled My Sister Sofia... and intended to lead us along the historical and spiritual routes linking Ukraine and Bulgaria. This year is a major anniversary for the newspaper. We celebrated 20 years since the first issue on September 11. 2016 is the readers’ year for Den. The project we are launching today forms a link in a chain of meanings created by this and other projects. We discussed relations between Ukraine and Byzantium in this room past year, and today we are turning to links between Ukraine and Bulgaria. For me personally, as a contributor, this project has opened many new horizons.”

“I am sure that Den’s readers make up the human gold reserve of the country, as they are people who think broadly and can read intellectual texts,” Den’s editor-in-chief and the new book’s initiator Larysa Ivshyna remarked. “Going beyond reading, they take practical steps as well, supporting this newspaper in its endeavors. When I am asked how I can do it, I answer ‘it is because Ukraine has a conscious core of society, perhaps not yet fully reflected upon, not illuminated.’ Our people certainly deserve better governance and a better life. I would like to thank everyone who read and subscribed to this newspaper over these 20 years, spread knowledge about it. I would also like to thank the people who printed this book of ours, I mean the company ADEF. The book My Sister Sofia... is a special intellectual product. I think we have never had such a book. With it, we wanted to emphasize the need for raising the standard of our debates. I am convinced that journalists need to tell people how the country is living, how it ought to live, and how it ought to think of itself in terms of our thousands-year-old civilization. In fact, our book tells of Ukraine through the prism of Bulgaria. I want to thank the contributors and compilers of this project. The contributors include a lot of our best scholars, and I want them to also become known as Ukrainian journalists. My Sister Sofia... explains why Sviatoslav the Brave desired to move the capital from Kyiv to the Danube, and describes the mutual influence exerted by Ukrainians and Bulgarians on each other. Mykhailo Drahomanov, who once created an entire new school of thought in Bulgaria, influenced the local intellectual public so much that Bulgaria went on to become the first nation to recognize the Ukrainian People’s Republic (UPR). The nation which had learned over the stateless centuries to keep the memory of their own state alive highly appreciated Ukraine’s attempts to establish a state of our own. Are Ukrainians broadly aware of it? Unfortunately, the answer is ‘no.’ It was Drahomanov’s son-in-law who became the first ambassador of Bulgaria to the government of the UPR. There are many other extremely interesting historical facts in this book. At the same time, it has a very serious social and political dimension to it.

“I would also draw your attention to our own-brand bracelet, which is the accessory to the book. Jewelry house ZARINA together with our artist Anna Havryliuk helped us to realize this vision. On the bracelet, you can see a small silver coin featuring the first letter of the Glagolitic alphabet, which we received from Bulgaria. We begin with first letters! This describes the book My Sister Sofia... as well.”

THE LAUNCH OF THE DEN’S LATEST PROJECT WAS ALSO ATTENDED BY BULGARIA’S HONORARY VICE CONSUL IN LVIV MYKHAILO HUK. “DEAR PRESIDIUM, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I HAVE THE HONOR TO CONVEY GREETINGS FROM AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY AND PLENIPOTENTIARY KRASIMIR MINCHEV WHO IS DELIGHTED BY THIS BOOK,” HE SAID / Photo by Ruslan KANIUKA, The Day

Moreover, Ivshyna introduced to the audience Den’s unique treasure chest as well, which holds 100 postcards featuring the newspaper’s front pages, photos from exhibitions, Anatolii Kazansky and Viktor Bogorad’s caricatures, and Havryliuk’s pictures and covers for Route No. 1 magazine. It also offers wooden easel and Ivshyna’s “royal pencil” for creating mini-pictures. Other treasures include a bag of marigold seeds from Nahuievychi!

The newspaper’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. At the award ceremony for the Forum’s Best Book 2016, My Sister Sofia... won not one but two awards – the Special Award of the Educators Sub-Jury and the People of the Book Guild’s Diploma, the latter “for constantly propagating wisdom.” And, of course, the number of visitors at Den’s stand spoke for itself, staying high throughout the forum’s duration.

We offer our readers the most interesting impressions of these visitors.

“WE WILL PURCHASE YOUR BOOK AND SEND IT TO SOFIA”

Myroslava PRYKHODA, associate professor, publishing and editing department, Institute of Journalism, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv; manager of the People of the Book Guild project:

“We chose this book because the People of the Book Guild, which was created at the department of publishing and editing at the Institute of Journalism of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, aims to unite people who care about the book, people who write and create books. We established the guild’s award past year. Since we are part of the Institute of Journalism, we seek books by journalists, about them or created for them. Past year’s award was bestowed on a Finnish journalist’s book. This year, My Sister Sofia... was the first thing we noticed. We followed your newspaper’s coverage of the book. I carefully read the introduction and supporting materials back on September 13 and we decided that it deserved our award.

LARYSA IVSHYNA SIGNED BOOKS FOR THE FIRST BUYERS OF THE DEN’S LATEST PRODUCT. “OUR READERS MAKE UP THE HUMAN GOLD RESERVE OF THE COUNTRY, AS THEY ARE PEOPLE WHO THINK BROADLY AND CAN READ INTELLECTUAL TEXTS,” IVSHYNA BELIEVES / Photo by Ruslan KANIUKA, The Day

“We and our students follow all Den’s novelties. By the way, Sofia University celebrates 20th anniversary of its Ukrainian studies department this year. We will probably buy your book and send it to Sofia. It will get to students of Sofia University. Thus, we and the international community will be celebrating the end of our past separation and the start of our new encounter. I have been the newspaper’s subscriber since its first issue was published. When I was teaching in Poland, my students used Den’s articles as reading material.”

“THE CHEST OF TREASURES IS IMPRESSIVE AND UNIQUE IN THE AMOUNT OF THOUGHT GIVEN TO PLANNING ITS CONTENTS”

Halyna and Andrii YATSENKO, assistant professors, journalism department, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv:

“Den’s projects are always special and symbolic, while this year’s chest of treasures is impressive and unique in the amount of thought given to planning its contents! It is the best gift to the faithful readers who have spent these two decades, full of successes and debacles, with Den, and each issue of the newspaper has been a spiritual treasure for them. From our own experience, we are sure that every admirer of the newspaper has a ‘chest’ full of old issues at home, and now they will also have another excellent chest, full of good mood and inspiration provided by Den’s journalists. One of the most valuable treasures in the chest, no doubt, is a bag of marigold seeds from Ivan Franko’s home village. This is a landmark idea of the editor-in-chief Larysa Ivshyna, since it was the seed of Franko’s words that gave rise to sprouts of freedom a century ago, and the newspaper’s creative team carefully harvests these seeds today and sows them in the prepared soil of Ukrainian consciousness. This is a symbolic hint to readers that anyone can change the world by turning a little black seed into a colorful flower with their love!

“At the same time, this is a nice gift for Franko’s 160th birth anniversary, for he loved these chests and yellow-crowned flowers. He had a special liking for chests as early as during his studies in Drohobych School. The little boy was then a boarder at the house of the Koshytskys-Huchynskys who sold chests to girls needing them for dowry, so he enthusiastically painted them. Franko’s rose-covered chests were in great demand, as recalled by his son Petro Franko, the whole room was littered with them, so the boy had even to sleep inside of them sometimes. Regarding marigolds, when Franko stayed at Reverend Ivan Kuziv’s house in the village of Dydiova, Turka county, he always ordered a pie with marigolds, which he savored greatly (we can assert it with confidence, because it was prepared by our great-great-grandmother)!”

“IF ONLY THE STATE HAD STARTED ACTIVELY HELPING DEN EARLIER, WE COULD HAVE AVOIDED THE CRISIS IN DONBAS”

Anatolii IVCHENKO, has been subscribed to Den for the past 15 years:

 “I have purchased the most recent novelty, the book My Sister Sofia.... I wouldn’t say that I have all of them, but by home library has about 70 percent of books Den has ever published. I am fond of this media, I support fully its educational activities. This newspaper is actually engaged in nation-building. I’d love to have the state after all begin supporting these activities specifically. Den is forced to deal with its educational mission alone. If only the state had started actively helping Den earlier, we could have avoided the crisis in Donbas. We have our country artificially divided into regions, between which the enemies of Ukraine are trying instill hatred. Den, on the other hand, is trying to unite our country, making a maximum effort for it.”

“DEN’S PROJECTS ARE A STATE-BUILDING EFFORT”

Liubov FATULAIEVA, pensioner:

 “I enjoy the opportunity to admire the information products of my favorite media. Thus I was very glad to have made it to Larysa Ivshyna’s presentation of My Sister Sofia... book. Den’s Projects are a state-making effort, and a prerequisite for national progress. I like the branded wristband, which I am going to present to my granddaughter. This booth is dear to my heart, so I want to examine every detail in it. It contains nothing superfluous, but everything is precious. And even the dogrose in a vase complements the aristocracy of all the publication presented by Den.”

“DEN IS UNIQUE IN UKRAINE TODAY”

Marian LOZYNSKYI, vice president for research, education, social issues and development at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv:

 “I appreciate this Ukrainian media which can safely be called the best. Den newspaper is unique in Ukraine today. I greatly respect and admire Larysa Ivshyna primarily for her professionalism and her clear vision of Ukraine’s national idea. I would also like to stress the importance of fruitful cooperation between our university’s Department of Journalism and Den. This cooperation is very important for us, especially for the students, the best of which are taken care of by Den – they receive further education and are provided with an opportunity to become excellent journalists.

 “Of course, I bought a copy of the latest book. From my own experience I know how difficult it is to deliver a book. Den has a library so great and wonderful, and that’s a considerable achievement. Finally, I would like to congratulate Den on the occasion of its 20th anniversary, and wish it further prosperity.”

“THESE BOOKS SHOULD BE INTEGRATED INTO THE SYSTEM OF SECONDARY AND HIGHER EDUCATION”

Liubov KIS, psychologist at the Lviv Military High School:

 “I admit that I am a great admirer of the titanic educational work of Den newspaper led by Larysa Ivshyna. Of course, I could not miss the opportunity to acquire the latest book of such a respected media. As such, Bulgarian history has never been the subject of interest of us, Ukrainians. However, the perspective on the Bulgarian history through the prism of Ukrainians – that is something that should interest Ukrainian readers greatly. Den knows how it should be handled correctly, truthfully, and objectively – I am absolutely sure I will find many new and interesting facts in this book. Furthermore, I believe that Den’s books should be integrated into the system of secondary and higher education. The more young people read these fundamental and profound works, the better will be the future of our state.”

Recipe of the pie with marigolds

4 eggs, 100 grams of butter, 100 grams of flour, 100 grams of sugar, a handful of marigold petals. Pound petals in a pot with sugar, add egg yolks, butter, flour, and whip egg whites separately. Mix all ingredients and pour into the lard-greased pan. Bake until it is done. The finished cake can be sprinkled with powdered sugar.