The public library in the village of Ivankiv, Kyiv. Librarian Svetlana Godun holds in her hands a book pierced by two bullets. The woman carefully tries to unfold the pages. And he says that this is an Encyclopedia of modern Ukraine.
After the occupation, says Godun, Russian troops left this bitter memory as they fired at the building.
“The book stopped the bullets. This is how Russians fight against Ukrainian culture,” Svetlana told Voice of America (VOA).
The village of Ivankiv was occupied by the Russians for 36 days at the start of the 2022 war.
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Godun says her library “lucked out” compared to the library in the neighboring village of Obukhovichi. “When I entered after the de-occupation, I was shocked. Everything was messy. The Russians had made openings from the books to shoot through,” Olena Shumak recalls.
Despite all the damage, the libraries reopened immediately after the departure of the Russian troops.
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Some libraries, especially on the front lines, have changed dramatically. For example, the Central Library of Nikopol has a bomb shelter that is used by the entire region. “People come here to spend the night when the city is shelled. They always go through the library first, get books, then go down to the basement and read,” says Maxim Sitnyakov.
Many libraries have become what Ukrainians call “points of no refraction.” Necessary things such as heat, water, a place to rest and first aid kits are provided there, he says VOA.
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