THE NATIONAL UNION OF
JOURNALISTS OF UKRAINE
The Volodymyretskyi Visnyk newspaper from the area of the Rivne Region’s border with Belarus has celebrated its anniversary, the 80th anniversary of the publishing of the first issue of the foremother of today’s printed edition. It has also presented its officially registered new name, Visnyk Polissia, which also provides for the possibility of expanding the scope of distribution.
The President of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), Sergiy Tomilenko, and the head of the Rivne regional organization of the NUJU, Dmytro Tarasiuk, the representative of the National Council of Ukraine on television and radio broadcasting in the Rivne Region, Liliya Hryniuk, came to congratulate the newspaper team on the important event.
Among the guests of the event, there were the head of the Varash District Council, Yaroslav Bereziuk; the deputy head of the Varash District Military Administration, Yurii Koziarets; the head of the Volodymyrets Territorial Community, Vasyl Kovenko, and the head of the Department of Information and Public Relations, Deputy of the Varash District Council, Serhii Hutsalo.
On that day, Svitlana Liashko and the editorial team of Sarnenski Novyny, a journalist from the legendary Mariupol/editor-in-chief of Mariupol.CITY and Donbas24, Iryna Husar, and newspaper veterans visited their colleagues’ event as well.
The hosts of the celebration and all those present were warmly greeted by the amateur folklorists of the Svariany collective.
* * *
It was for the publication’s anniversary that the grant-funded sound recording studio PROslukhai.CITY and co-working space Space.CITY started to work within the newsroom. These are the results of successful editorial applications submitted during 2022-2023 to MDF, The Fix Foundation, the European Union, and the Ukrainian Association of Media Business. MP and philanthropist Viktor Miyalyk helped arrange the co-working for the comfort of the guests. So, the newsroom can even conduct excursions today! So, the guests saw the recording studio PROslukhai.CITY and a computer center where visitors can access the Internet and work on a computer.
Celebrations and a press conference titled Regional MASS MEDIA: Historical Sustainability took place In this newly-created co-working space, Space.CITY. It was nice to feel the warmth of the celebration, to hear the greetings of the guests on the occasion of the anniversary of the newspaper, to receive awards and gifts from the NUJU, the National Council of Ukraine on Television and Radio Broadcasting, from local authorities, representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, and the chaplaincy. The newspaper staff, its veterans, and its current employees received their awards. Many of the speakers spoke about the contribution to the development of the publication by its editor-in-chief, Serhii Skibchyk, currently an officer of the press service of the 65th Separate Mechanized Brigade [OMBr]. And he himself can be proud of his colleagues, who worthily support traditions and bring novelty to the work of the newsroom.
Among the commemorative awards and gifts were signs of national honor of the All-Ukrainian association Kraina: For professional work and Fourth Power – Real Power, the icon Patroness Of Warriors, Cossacks, Chieftains, Hetmans,” power banks, the flag of the European Union and others.
The guests were welcomed by the heads of the NUJU and the regional union of journalists, a representative of the National Council of Ukraine.
In particular, the President of the NUJU, Sergiy Tomilenko, noted:
“The NUJU unites more than 18,000 media professionals. We are a large community that always tries to support the stability of journalists in difficult times, inspire victory, and support leaders during a large-scale war against Ukraine.
I am very pleased to be in Volodymyrets to celebrate the anniversary of one of the leading media of Ukraine. I am glad to congratulate the newspaper team on another step forward – from now on, the newspaper is expanding its horizons under the logo Visnyk Polissia. You successfully use any opportunity to better provide quality information to your audience.
Lately, we have been conducting many seminars at the NUJU, and I want to note the active participation of Ms. Liudmyla Bosyk. Thank you, Ms. Liudmyla, for sharing your experience and setting an example of how to use opportunities for the development of the newsroom. What we see – the technique, the equipment, and the studio – is all the result of using opportunities to strengthen the stability of the newsroom.
I also want to thank Ms. Liudmyla for sharing her knowledge with the frontline media, whose support is one of the priorities of the NUJU.
The Journalists Are Important saying is about you, dear colleagues!”
Recently, the newsroom received a laptop from the NUJU, and now, on the occasion of the anniversary, it was given a power bank and two photo works, which were exhibited in Kyiv at a large photo exhibition dedicated to the work of journalists during the large-scale war, Executed Free Speech. And Sergiy Tomilenko, who recently visited Brussels on a business visit, handed over the flag of the European Union brought from there to the newsroom of the museum.
Liliya Hryniuk, a representative of the National Council of Ukraine on Television and Radio Broadcasting in the Rivne Region:
“What was seen in the newsroom of Volodymyretskyi Visnyk is impressive. You are not afraid to take risks; you are not afraid to go beyond the boundaries of the community and district. From the bottom of my heart, I wish you to always move forward with the same energy.”
Head of the Rivne Regional Organization of the NUJU, Dmytro Tarasiuk:
“I congratulate Volodymyretskyi Visnyk on the first 80 years! No newsroom in our Western region has the kind of material and technical support that Volodymyrets has. I hope that with the reorganization of Volodymyretskyi Visnyk into Visnyk Polissia, the newspaper’s distribution area will expand, and its readership will increase.
May God give you health, courage, and stamina!”
But it is also worth mentioning that Alasania destroyed the good radio and television that existed in the country at one time. As for printed mass media, all of them have left the authorities but have great economic problems, and ultimately, printed mass media is being destroyed by Ukrposhta. For some reason, it is believed that delivering a newspaper to a reader is more expensive than making it. They take money, but no one guarantees the quality of delivery.
Unfortunately, Ukrposhta, which has always been a partner of mass media, is now doing everything to not only destroy mass media but also destroy the mail itself. There were four mail carriers in Volodymyrets; today, there is one. A recent example – a letter sent from Sarny on October 5 to the regional organization of journalists arrived in Rivne on October 25. For 20 days, the letter went through the territory of one region!
Something should be done about it!
Greetings from representatives of local authorities and the public are a manifestation of recognition and respect.”
Yaroslav Bereziuk, the head of the Varash District Council:
“I remember our native Volodymyretskyi Visnyk since I was a child. And even then, under the leadership of editor Oleksii Marychenko, a very professional team worked in the newspaper. There was no Internet and social networks yet, so all the news of the district was only our newspaper.
Journalists under the leadership of Serhii Skibchyk worked no less professionally.
Today, the newspaper is becoming more and more objective and sharper; its material and technical base has become mass-mediated. Of course, Volodymyretskyi Visnyk is not the successor of its predecessors – Karmelyuk or Leninskaya Zoria. These were other publications, but the historical date – the 80th anniversary – is for all of us.”
Yurii Koziarets, a Deputy Head of the Varash District Military Administration:
“Now, not only is russia at war with Ukraine, there is a struggle between dictatorship and democracy. And the main feature of democracy is freedom of speech and free journalism. Therefore, your work is very important. In the extremely difficult time of the large-scale russian invasion, you did not allow panic; you are working even more actively, supplementing the printed edition with Internet resources. Good luck!”
Vasyl Kovenko, the head of the Volodymyrets Territorial Community:
“It is nice to see distinguished guests of the 80th anniversary of the newspaper, who highly appreciated the work in the newsroom. Indeed, the information presented in Volodymyretskyi Visnyk is perceived by people, and the newspaper is read and trusted. And its team not only forms an information component but has a good influence on the development of culture in the region.”
The head of the Volodymyrets, the Union of ATO Veterans And Fatherland Defenders, military priest Mykola Yurakh:
“We are grateful to the team for close cooperation with the military in the conditions of war; we respect the stability of the team, which keeps order in the difficult conditions of war.
Volodymyretskyi Visnyk is a newspaper of many generations, and today, it allows people to hear the opinions of military personnel and volunteers and tells about their life stories.
The journalist of the newspaper visited us at the front more than once. And when parcels from the Volodymyrets area arrive at the front, the militaries hastily open the newspaper enclosed there: “What is going on at our home?!”
On behalf of the military clergy, on behalf of the Rivne Eparchy of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, and the priest of the Varash District, Father Vitalii, we thank you for your work. You are artists of the word, and let this word sound for good!”
The Head of the Information and Public Relations Department/member of the Varash District Council, Serhii Hutsalo:
“With the beginning of the large-scale war, it was not easy for all of us. As time and events have shown, the staff of Volodymyretskyi Visnyk did not get lost in extreme conditions when the editor went to the front on the very first day of the great war and began to work even more actively.
Today, despite all the disagreements, you are developing. You place the accents correctly. I am sure that our cooperation as colleagues will continue.”
The colleagues were greeted briefly and sincerely. They talked about mutual support and wished for success.
Svitlana Liashko, the editor of the Sarnenski Novyny newspaper:
“It is very nice that our newspapers are strong and informative. You are our colleagues, and we have never been competitors; we are always happy to help each other. I want to wish your team, especially Serhii Skibchyk (I know that he is very worried and worried about you), great success!
We will work together because the word if it is true, will find its way to the reader and its supporters.”
Journalism veteran/chairperson of the Sarny Association of Professional and Freelance Journalists and Photojournalists Heorhii Oleksandrovych:
“The fourth power is a real power. It is nice to hear from the leaders of the district and the community that they welcome the critical nature of the newspaper’s statements. You know how to earn well-deserved compliments! With your ambitions and the new name of the newspaper, your readership will expand, and you will be able to attract new “pen sharks” to cooperate. I wish Visnyk Polissia became a regional publication!”
Editor-in-Chief of Mariupol.CITY and Donbas24, Iryna Husar:
“Your newsroom is very similar to our newsroom of the Pryazovskyi Robochyi newspaper. Active, caring people also work there, who have already managed to digitize the binders of the newspaper archive and launched a Ukrainian-language website.
In February 2022, the russian aggressor attacked our city, food bases were destroyed, and enemy gunners worked, but we worked as long as possible.
My daughter was on social media, and I could hear her whispering at night, “Shut the sky!” Air bombs are very scary!
On March 16, 2022, we left Mariupol, passed 21 checkpoints, and resumed publication on March 23. We gave interviews to foreign channels because we understood the importance of reporting what was happening in Mariupol.
You are very cool to preserve a newspaper and get grants to work for the audience.
And all of us together – in the east and the west – must make it fashionable and stylish to read a printed newspaper!”
* * *
A tour of the production was conducted for the guests. The head of the production department of the newsroom, Daryna Bosyk, held a master class with Sergiy Tomilenko on making a T-shirt with sublimation. He himself printed the patriotic image and showed the finished product to all the guests.
Vibrant guests from Svariany ended the festive event with folk song greetings, and their performance of “Many Summers” sounded especially solemn.
So let the newspaper with eighty years of history be published for many summers, expand its distribution area, and have as many readers and supporters as possible.
Vlada Poliska, Volodymyretskyi Visnyk newspaper correspondent
Photo by Vasyl Sosiuk, Sarnenski Novyny
Discussion about this post