INTERVIEW
The power of solidarity: Support for Ukraine
Executive Director of the Ukraine Library Association, Yaroslava Soshynska, talks to Rob Green about life in Ukraine as Russia wages war on its neighbour, the role of libraries in the country and how moral support is keeping people strong.
ON 24 February, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops to invade Ukraine – bringing war to Europe for the first time this century.
Ordinary people have been caught up in fighting, bombing and the ensuing horrors that come with war. Thousands of people have been killed or injured as Russia’s war machine is widely reported to be attack- ing civilian targets as well as the Ukraine military. Residents are forced to shelter in underground bunkers in towns and cities across Ukraine and hundreds of thousands of people have fled in search of safety across Ukraine’s borders.
Many are staying in the country and join- ing the fight against Russian forces. Among those still in the country is the Executive Director Ukrainian Library Association, Yaroslava Soshynska. In an exclusive interview with Information Professional she describes life in Ukraine and how librar- ies and their staff are reacting as war rages around them.
Yaroslava describes her feelings as the reality of war struck, saying: “Despite the fact that the Russian Federation has been waging a hybrid war in Ukraine since 2014, few people were well aware of the threat of a full-scale military invasion. And in the first days of the war, I felt like I was in some kind of virtual reality, appealing to my school memories of Soviet films about World War II and eyewitness narratives of those who fought and those who worked in the rear and knew what is an occupation. So, following the script of the film, after the air strikes at five in the morning, I listened to the news from the Government and the Mayor, collected documents and essentials, audited food and water, and covered the
14 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL
Rob Green (
rob.green@
cilip.org.uk) is Editor, Information Professional.
windows with thick paper to disguise from enemy planes.”
Answering questions by email on 3 March, Yaroslava explains that despite the fear and constant attacks on cities and towns, there is a defiance among Ukrainian people. She said: “All Ukrainians understand that this is a war not only for the military – it is really a people’s war in which we defend our fam- ilies, our homes, our cities, our Ukraine. In addition, we defend our democratic values and rights, freedom and independence.” Reports coming out of Ukraine have highlighted the damage being done to civilian infrastructure – a number of schools, universities, museums, cathedrals and libraries have reported damage during the first weeks of the war. Yaroslava says that despite the onslaught, many libraries are working to deliver services – targeting resources where they are most needed. She said: “It is horrible, when in 21st
century, when people plan to colonise Mars, women and children die in bombs, shells and fires in the centre of Europe in a beautiful country. I will never understand
March 2022
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