Dear Reader:
The phrase, “the pen is mightier than the sword,” was first coined by English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839, in his play “Richelieu; or The Conspiracy.” The line is spoken by Cardinal Richelieu, who understands the power of written words to influence, persuade, and change the course of history. This historical fact is shared in this article as a kind of reminder.
Mykola Lushakov is the 24-year-old Ukrainian man that spoke at Russell & District Regional Library on the evening of March 27. The anglicized version of Mykola is Nicolas, for that reason, our posters advertised guest speaker Nicolas Lushakov. You may have seen Nicolas around Russell. He is the tall, slim, dapper dresser that is inherently polite and so serious that his smiles come as a lightning surprise.
Due to technical difficulties and some misunderstanding, Nicolas’ speaking event began late. Thank you to Jewel Mazur for saving the evening with her quick thinking and generous lending of her laptop. Thank you as well to audience members that waited patiently and respectfully while the situation was rectified.
Mr. Lushakov began his talk, titled “Russian Terror in Ukraine,” with the recorded song called The Little Bird, (in English), a Ukrainian ballad sung by Vivienne Mort and Daniela Zayushinka. While this song is not Ukraine’s official national anthem, it resonates with many Ukrainians as war rages on in Ukraine. While the injustices of war are not unique to any one war, Lushakov shared an insider report on the particular barbarism of Russian military forces. The elderly, women, children, the infirm: there are no exceptions to the terror inflicted by Russia upon Ukraine and its citizens. Just before Mykola Lushakov turned the evening over to audience members for questions and answers, we were introduced to poet and special operations unit Ukrainan soldier, Maksym Kryvtsov. Born January 1990, died January 7, 2024, at the age of 33 years old.
The following is an excerpt from one of Maksym Krystov’s poems. Translation courtesy of Oksana Grytsenko for The Wall Street Journal.
He took the cat that was like pastry
And said: cat we need to go
War
Cold like ice
Came to us, like life
Like Illness
The lesson called “Quiet Life” is over
When an audience member commented to Mykola Lushakov that he is brave, Lushakov adamantly replied: “No. If I was brave, I would be at war in Ukraine.”
Thank you, Nicolas. Thank you for exemplifying bravery and humility. Thank you for reminding your audience that while the rest of the world seems to have moved on and the News Media is covering other stories now, Ukraine is still at war. Russian Terror in Ukraine rages on. Pray for Ukraine. Pray for all those that continue to be affected by the terror of war around the world.
New At the Library.
Something for Everyone: a curated book list
Junior Easy: Mikey and The Dragons by Jocko Willink
Junior Fiction: Max in the House of Spies by Adam Gidwitz
Graphic Novel: Wings of fire: Winter Turning by Tui T. Sutherland
Autobiography: Treat It Gentle by Sidney Bechet
Non-Fiction: Captivating by Stasi and John Eldredge
Adult Fiction: Labyrinth of The Spirits by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Western: Bear Gulch by B.N. Rundell
Young Adult: Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson
Romance: Until August by Garbriel Garcia Marquez
For an excellent selection of books stop in and visit us in Binscarth Library and Russell Library. For more information on any of our events, please contact the Russell Library at 204-773-3127 / ruslib@mymts.net or Binscarth Library at 204-532-2447 / binslb@mymts.net or message us on Facebook. Please visit our website at https://russellbinscarthlibrary.ca for more
information.
Happy Reading, Until Next Time,
The Library Ladies