The new issue of Local History Magazine is dedicated to Vasyl Stus. Why it matters and the publication history
A new issue of Local History Magazine has been published, dedicated to the dissident poet Vasyl Stus. The publication includes little-known facts about the poet’s life, exclusive interviews with his sister and son, and also the memories of the writer’s acquaintances. We will tell you the story of the magazine’s creation and its special features.
“It’s time to debunk myths”
The special issue dedicated to the dissident poet was initiated and supported by the MHP-Gromadi Charitable Foundation. In 2023, the Foundation helped to reconstruct the Vasyl Stus museum in Rakhnivka in the Vinnytsia oblast: racks for exhibits were installed and equipment was procured. The MHP-Gromadi team was impressed by the story of the facility director – 94-year-old Dmytro Omelianchuk. It took him 27 years to personally collect valuable exhibits and search for published books and translations of the poet’s works. He also communicated with the Stus family.
“In the fall of 2023, we decided to record Dmytro Omelianchuk’s memories of Stus and created a documentary with his memories and a story about what it’s like to manage a small local museum. This initiative was then scaled up into a special magazine issue dedicated to the poet. We realized that the study of Vasyl Stus’s biography made in Rakhnivka was insufficient, as well as the facts about the significance and impact of his works on Ukrainian culture and its establishment. So, we contacted the editors of Local History and proposed a joint project, which they managed to present amazingly in the new magazine issue,” said Tetiana Volochai, Director of the MHP-Gromadi Charitable Foundation.
According to Vitaliy Liaska, the editor-in-chief of the Local History magazine, despite the poet having done so much to protect Ukrainian heritage, his true personality remains understudied.
“The new Local History issue is dedicated to Vasyl Stus, a person we know little about and therefore need to study and rethink. It is high time to debunk myths to get reliable and true knowledge. I hope this magazine becomes a brick in that very foundation of knowledge we lack,” noted Vitaliy Liaska.
Why is the magazine issue dedicated to Stus important
This special issue on Stus contains the most interesting and unique information about his life and writing. A report is included from Rakhnivka, the poet’s hometown, along with a story about the local museum, and the opinions and memories of top researchers working with Vasyl Stus’s legacy, including Radomir Mokryk, Eleonora Solovey, Oles Ilchenko, Vakhtang Kipiani, and others. Interviews with Maria Stus, the poet’s sister, and his son Dmytro are top reads.
The magazine also contains information about places related to the poet, as well as photos and illustrations by Ukrainian artist Daria Kovtun, created at the editors’ request. The MHP-Gromadi Charitable Foundation will deliver a special magazine issue to libraries in the 15 regions where the Foundation operates.
The latest issue of the Local History magazine is also available on the publication’s website , and in bookstore networks such as “Ye,” “Readeat,” “My Bookshelf,” “Bukva,” “Book.ua,” and others.
Background
The MHP-Gromadi Charitable Foundation is a Ukrainian charity established in 2015 to help communities solve their social, economic, and environmental issues. The Foundation operates in 15 oblasts of Ukraine and is present in over 700 cities and towns. The main mission of the MHP-Gromadi Charitable Foundation is the restoration and development of communities where people wish to live.
Since Russia’s 2022 invasion, the MHP-Gromadi Charitable Foundation has focused on cultural projects and launched a nationwide Preservation of Cultural Heritage project to support Ukrainian museums.
Apart from the Stus Museum in Rakhnivka, the Foundation has supported five other museums as part of the Preservation of Cultural Heritage project. These include the Vyacheslav Chornovil Manor-Museum in the Cherkasy oblast, the Museum of Composer Mykola Leontovych in the Vinnytsia oblast, the Vasyl Symonenko Museum in the city of Cherkasy, the Trypillia Culture Museum in the Cherkasy oblast, and the National Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine in Kyiv.
