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14 June 2007 13:35

Chernihiv Oblast Children Receive Ukraine’s Hetmans Book from Ukraine 3000 Fund

June 14, 2007, the Chernihiv Oblast Korolenko Scientific Universal Library hosted a ceremony of presenting the Ukraine’s Hetmans book to Chernihiv oblast schools and libraries. The event was part of the Cossack Fame for the Little Readers program by the Ukraine 3000 International Charitable Fund.

Among the participants of the ceremony were Head of the Supervisory Board of the Ukraine 3000 International Charitable Fund Kateryna Yushchenko, Head of the Fund’s Board of Directors Oleksandr Maksymchuk, President of the Pediatricians’ Association of Ukraine Yuri Antypkin, President of the Ukrainian Medical Association of North America (UMANA) Dr. Andrew Iwach, Head of the Chernihiv Oblast State Administration Mykola Lavryk, Chernihiv Mayor Oleksandr Sokolov, and representatives of the Ukraine 3000 Fund and Chernihiv OSA.

Mrs. Yushchenko presented the book and described the phases of the Cossack Fame for the Little Readers program. “As you know, the year 2007 was pronounced the Year of Ukrainian Book. However, for our Ukraine 3000 Fund, every year is a year of Ukrainian book. I am extremely pleased to present this book to Chernihiv oblast schools and libraries. I am glad that precisely the descendants of the legendary Ukrainian heroes will be the first to get this book,” she said. Mrs. Kateryna expressed her hope that the richly illustrated publication would give children a chance to discover the heroic and sometimes tragic pages of our history.

Mrs. Yushchenko handed over to Head of the Chernihiv Oblast State Administration Mykola Lavryk a certificate for 850 copies of the Ukraine’s Hetmans for the Chernihiv oblast schools and libraries. 770 copies are to be distributed among schools and another 80 among the oblast libraries.

Accompanied by Director of the Chernihiv Oblast Korolenko Scientific Universal Library Petro Hryshchenko, the guests took a tour of the library and talked to its staff members. On behalf of the Ukraine 3000 International Charitable Fund, Mrs. Yushchenko presented to the library the Legal Assistance for the Cultural Legacy: Documents Collection and Our Maestros by Bohdan Pevny. Folk artist Ahnesa Liashenko gave Mrs. Yushchenko with an embroidered icon.

The Cossack Fame for the Little Readers project was launched February 27, 2007, in Poltava. It envisages presenting the Ukraine’s Hetmans books to schools in Poltava, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv oblasts. The book contains an intense and captivating story of our country in the Cossacks’ times, is richly illustrated, and is intended for junior and secondary schoolchildren, as well as all readers striving to learn more about Ukraine’s history. The Ukraine’s Hetmans books have already been passed over to Poltava, Kharkiv, and Sumy oblasts schools and libraries.

The Ukraine 3000 Fund conducts active work in Chernihiv oblast within the framework of its Yesterday area. Thus, in 2006, as part of the Ukrainian Art for the Libraries project, eight Chernihiv oblast libraries received sets of six albums by the National Arts Museum of Ukraine. Besides, with the Fund’s assistance, in 2005 philanthropists Mykhaylo Kosynsky and Mykola Kocherha donated to the Hetman’s Capital Baturyn State Historical Preserve a collection of paintings. Mr. Kocherha also rendered financial support to the Baturyn Special General Education Boarding School. The information on the 32 Chernihiv oblast museums is featured at the Ukrainian Museums Portal. Besides, Chernihiv-based museum workers, members of the Ukrainian Center for Museums Development receive the Ukrainian Museum informational bulletins free of charge.

The Chernihiv Oblast Korolenko Scientific Universal Library was founded March 15, 1877, due to the efforts of the democratically-minded local intelligentsia. Today the library is the oblast’s major book depository, a cultural, educational, scientific, and informational center, coordinating the work of all oblast’s libraries. The library’s fund numbers 805,000 items. Its special treasure is the rare books of the 19th to early 20th century fund, preserving over 15,000 books, and the local studies fund. The number of the library’s users exceeds 35,000. It features a general and six specialized reading rooms, a capable reference and search system, and a novelties room.

Head of the Supervisory Board of the Ukraine 3000 International Charitable Fund Kateryna Yushchenko and the Fund representatives are staying in Chernihiv oblast for a one-day working trip. They have already visited the Chernihiv Oblast Children’s Hospital and are planning to visit the Chernihiv Shevchenko State Pedagogical University.