(Reportage)

Learning something new is always astonishing, especially when it is related to your future profession. A museum is not only old exhibits, many showcases, and a tireless tour guide, it is always about the history and something more. So on September 9, my group VSRb-2-21 of the Institute of Journalism named after B. Hrinchenko decided to join the process of acquiring new knowledge outside the educational institution. The Book and Printing Museum, located on the territory of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, helped us in this.

The tour began at the entrance to the museum because every room and, at first glance, imperceptible detail in it, is filled with a certain meaning. First, we learned about the history of the museum itself, what it is famous for and why it has such a specialization. As it turned out, the museum was created in 1972 on the site of the Kyiv-Pecher`s printing house, which existed for almost 300 years. Its task was to provide the then monastery with books. The entire exposition is built in the chronological order, which helps you to easily immerse yourself in the history of book printing in Ukraine.

The next period that the tour guide talked about was printing in the times of Gutenberg and Fedorov. At the same time, the first printed Ukrainian book “Apostol” was created in Lviv. This was a real breakthrough in the history of book printing, now books were created much faster, but not yet distributed, remaining an indicator of wealth.

Then the era of the 18th and 19th centuries began: new sizes of books, which were no longer limited to small formats, engravings, or embossing. Different sizes of machines were presented to our attention. We were even able to participate in the printing process and see with our own eyes how the machine tools of that time worked. The achievements of this period were significant, but, as always, there was a heavy side – numerous bans. At the time when the control over book printing kept on, when censorship did not miss a single line and checked every word, indomitable publishers tried to continue creating the history of Ukrainian printing.

The next part of the exposition was the birth of the Ukrainian movement and its activities. Self-published books, small-format and miniature editions, and stamps of Ukrainian publishing houses greeted us in the museum’s showcases. Along with this, there was an exhibition of all the revolutionary moments of Ukraine and its desperate struggle, which is presented in an ensemble of three helmets, which carry the connection of generations through the ages and their common goal.

Any kind of knowledge is useful, every little piece of history forms a new position in us, and it does not matter whether it is the history of printing, writing, or the struggle for independence, everything leaves a mark on us. Therefore, this journey into the past of the Ukrainian book, its creation and development, will be remembered by everyone!