“Don’t you have something to read in Ukrainian?” As a librarian from a military hospital, she takes care of books for soldiers

[ad_1]

Ms. Polina, like a real librarian, has a large notebook with a table. Sometimes these are names, sometimes phone numbers, and sometimes just the name of the city. This is how Ms. Polina records the parcels with books that she received from well-wishers. Over the past week, their number has increased greatly, and the carefully handwritten table has noticeably lengthened. This notebook lies on the table under a large table lamp, next to a cheerful tea cup with flowers and stacks of reader forms. It is hard to believe that very close by, behind the walls of the library room, there are hospital wards and intensive care, and the readers of this unusual library have gone through real hell. And not all the books issued to them will return to their shelves, some will go to the front. I met Mrs. Polina Oksanchenko completely by chance. She takes care of the library of the military hospital in Kharkiv. And even in the days of the most terrible shelling, she did not leave her inconspicuous but very important post, her books and her wards – wounded soldiers. “Hello, Ms. Oksana?” my phone rang. “I’m calling to tell you that we received your package of books. There are so many of them, from all over Ukraine. We are very grateful.” Somehow, on Facebook, I saw an announcement by a volunteer from Kharkiv that the library of the local hospital needed books in the Ukrainian language. “Are you calling everyone who sent books?” – I was surprised. “Yes,” responded Mrs. Polina. “To everyone whose name and phone number are on the New Post parcel. Although, unfortunately, some parcels have lost contact information, and I cannot thank you.” Librarian Polina Oksanchenko Someone sent parcels, and someone brought books personally – people of Kharkiv brought books just to the hospital, and the security escorted them from the checkpoint to the library. And recently, a military man from Lviv who is being treated in this hospital brought books – his wife sent them specially for the library. “I am delighted with how many people responded! Both Kyiv, Rivne, Lviv, and Kharkiv… especially many from Kyiv,” says Ms. Polina. Local writers donated copies of their works. Kharkiv publishing house “Folio” brought four dozen books. “There is such a volunteer, Oleksandr Sapronov, – says Ms. Polina. – Can you imagine, he buys Ukrainian literature for village libraries in the de-occupied territories. And now he bought and brought fifty books and magazines about Ukraine for our library.” Of course, it cannot be said that until now the library had empty shelves. But mostly it was medical literature, and also in Russian. A little bit of Ukrainian classics – that’s all. “We have a lot of books about medicine and they are old,” says Ms. Polina. “There are books about the experience of the Second World War in all surgical profiles, and the commander of the hospital personally took all 32 volumes of this publication. And then every surgeon came to the library and I took a book according to my profile. But our military and personnel asked more and more often – do you have anything to read in Ukrainian? I gave what I had, but I want more, and modern books.” The fact that the library needed books became known to the general public by accident. Once a group of journalists came to the hospital, and Mrs. Polina, like a hospitable hostess, showed them where things were located, led them through the floors and corridors. And, of course, I couldn’t help but talk about my library. “One of the journalists wrote down my data and said: you will receive books! – recalls Ms. Polina. – This was on Friday, and on Monday I already received the first 30 parcels. The chaplain of our hospital, Father Gennadiy Rokhmaniiko, often comes to the library. He he says – contact me, if necessary, I will help with the books. I carried parcels from the post office and loaded them into my car, then drove them to the territory of the hospital – because not every car is allowed through. After that, he helped me sort out the parcels. And here I say to him: “Father, how I would like these books to reach our defenders and doctors in mobile hospitals closer to the front line.” He replied: “No problem, prepare them, and I will take them.” That’s how, with the help of the chaplain, they arranged an exchange of books and for mobile hospitals.” Father Gennady takes books there, and then takes them back, but not all of them. For example, a soldier was in the hospital, then he was sent back to the front line, but he didn’t finish reading the book and took it with him, explains Mrs. Polina. – Someone there will take it from him and also read this Ukrainian book. We collect books in order for our defenders to read them.” Ms. Polina’s morning begins every day with the fact that she goes around the wards in different departments. In the hospital corridor, she has special lockers where she brings her books. She goes to each room, tells , that there are new books in the corridor, calling – come, choose what to read. It’s surprising, but in times when you can read or listen to any book on a smartphone, readers of the hospital library ask for a paper, “live”, as they call it her, the book. Someone reads it alone, someone is read to by their relatives. There are those who have no one to read to, and they themselves cannot do it because of injuries. Ms. Polina comes to them. We talk with her during the lunch break. I worry: “Because you won’t have time to have lunch after our conversation!” She answers: “And I don’t go to lunch. You see, our doctors at this time go to the cafeteria, and then they can go to the library, at other times they do not have this opportunity. So I’m waiting.” “Probably, for our defenders, you are a part of a peaceful life, like in childhood: I went to the library, took a book,” I tell her. Mrs. Polina smiles: “And you know, once a boy comes to my library and says: “I read Nestaik’s “Toreadors from Vasyukivka” as a child. I would like to read it again. Do you have it?”. I say: “Yes!”. Mrs. Polina with the chaplain Mrs. Polina tells which books are in the greatest demand in her library: “Many of our soldiers are interested in history. I give such books to mobile hospitals and to the front lines. Although they take both about love and detective stories. Someone is looking for technical literature – about a sniper rifle, about tanks and artillery. You see, the guys are being treated here, and they’re still learning!”. Ms. Polina also goes into the wards where the seriously wounded are lying: “I brought them some books last time. There was a soldier, about 40 years old, lying there. He is so calm. He says: “I would like to read, but my eyesight is bad.” He has a very severe contusion. I reassure: “God willing, your sight will return, don’t lose hope!”. He: “Well, I hope so.” How many young guys are left without legs, without arms, it’s so hard. And morally it’s hard to see them “. When Ms. Polina talks about her readers, she often falls silent, takes heavy pauses. It is not easy for her to choose words. “They take the books, but first they want to talk, tell their stories,” she says. “I return from their wards and feel sick for a few more days. It’s very hard for me to bear stories about battles, about how the environment was threatened, how my brothers died… Or there is a boy lying in the hospital, he has no arm or leg, and he says to me: “I am a villager myself, I would like to read something like that about plants. I’m going to plant a garden when I get home. Do you have such literature?”. I say: “Of course there is!”. You see, he has plans, he does not give up, he wants to live on. Guys talk about their children, show their photos. And you are already living their life . And then I drive home through the city, look at the peaceful life of Kharkiv, even under shelling, and feel that, probably, we have one world, and they have another one there, on the front lines. Some are discharged from the hospital, return to the front lines and writes to me from there. They write when they are in pain, when it is difficult, and it is such a horror.” I listen to Ms. Polina, and I want to hug her. I don’t know what to say and I don’t dare interrupt. I understand that she was also in pain. This small strong woman, the librarian of the tiny library of the military hospital, carries even more than she can bear on her shoulders. “In our hospital, there is a psychological support group for the military, and a chaplain – he also goes around the wards, supports the boys. Our doctors are very kind people, I admire them, how many of our heroes have passed through their hands. Many help the boys. And I hear from psychologists: don’t let everything pass so much through yourself. How can you not let it pass here?” – says the woman. Ms. Polina’s library is gradually growing. “I’ve only been working here for two years and I’m developing the library as much as I can, I’m doing what I can,” she says modestly. . I write down everything, who sent what – it might be needed someday.”

[ad_2]

Original Source Link