Ukrainian National Museum fights to get books back in Ukrainian libraries

Books ready for shipping

The Ukrainian National Museum (UNM), 2249 W. Superior St., needs help in their peaceful war to get Ukrainian books back in Ukrainian libraries in Kharkiv, Ukraine. 

Pro-Russian demonstrators, during the March riots, slashed and burned their way through the streets of Kharkiv and Donetsk, Ukraine.

As reported in Reuters, "Reuters Television footage showed pro-Russian activists scaling an iron gate, smashing a van and breaking into the offices of a Ukrainian Cultural Center. Two policemen stood nearby, examining the van. 

"The footage then showed young men seizing Ukrainian-language books, including a volume devoted to the 1932-1933 man-made famine in Soviet Ukraine, which killed from 7-10 million people. 

"'Do you see what they print here?' one activist said to another. 

Burning books

"The activists then took the books into the street and set them alight in small bonfires, along with posters from the extreme-right wing Right Sector group." 

Countless numbers of Ukrainian history, literature and archival books were totally destroyed. 

To counteract those actions, UNM began collecting Ukrainian language books. "People have been very generous and donated family collections of books. We have 50 filled boxes," explains Anna Chychula, UNM Administrator. "Now we need help to fund the cost of shipping." 

UNM launches a crowd sourcing project to cover the cost of sending the books to the Ukraine. To participate, go to their site. Their goal is to raise $5,000.