The media reported on possible rapid perturbationsin the sphere of the capital libraries. The abolition of the Library of Ukrainian Literature in Moscow is expected after the arrest of its director, Natalia Sharina. A woman accused of extremism is being held under house arrest.
On the future closure of the Ukrainian Libraryliterature in Moscow, journalists learned from the words of the lawyer Ivan Pavlov, who defends the interests of the director of the institution. It is planned to transfer the library's premises from the jurisdiction of the Moscow Department of Culture to the Department of Nationalities. politics, tourism and interregional relations. It is known that this department sent an appeal to the Department of Culture, containing a request for a decision on the fate of book funds and employment of employees of the reformed library.
According to the information received, indoorsLibraries of Ukrainian literature in Moscow, it is planned to create a Multimedia Center of Eastern Slavic peoples. The head of the national policy department, Vladimir Chernikov, confirmed that it is really about reforming the library, but not about its liquidation. As an official told journalists, one of the proposals actively discussed in the mayoralty of the capital is the creation of a multimedia center on the basis of the abolished library.
Library of Ukrainian Literature in Moscow (address:ul. Trifonovskaya 61, building 1) was in the epicenter of the scandal in October 2015. After the searches in the library, her director Natalya Sharina was detained, charged with inciting enmity and hatred, as well as humiliation of human dignity committed with the use of her official position.
The investigation version contained a statement,that in the period from 2011 to 2015. Sharina among the readers of the library distributed works of Ukrainian public figure of extremist Dmitry Korchinsky, banned for use in Russia. According to the court's decision, the director was placed under house arrest.
It is known that the head of the Department of Ukrainian Studies,media and cultural programs of Vitali Krikunenko's institution that forbidden literature was planted: in particular, the books did not contain a library press.
Library of Ukrainian Literature in Moscowwas founded in December 1989 on the basis of the Central Ukrainian Library, which existed in the capital from 1918 to 1938. In 1949 part of the fund was transferred to the library of Lviv University. In 1994, about 1200 books were returned. In 2000, the Government of Moscow adopted a Decree on the establishment of an independent state institution Library of Ukrainian Literature in the capital. In May 2006, the premises were solemnly transferred to the reconstructed building in the area of Maryina Roshcha, near the metro station "Rizhskaya" (the current address of the institution). In 2016, the Moscow Government decided to close the library and transfer its funds to the Center for Slavic Cultures (B-ka Foreign Literature Institute named after Rudomino).
The criminal case in late October 2015 wasinstituted on the application of Dmitry Zakharov, one of the metropolitan deputies. The initiator of the investigative actions, according to Shorin library director, is her former subordinate S. Sokurov (writer). Home arrest for a woman lasted for one year and 7 months. In the summer of 2017 Meshchansky district court, she was sentenced to 4 years' imprisonment conditionally. The envisaged probation period is 4 years.
Members of the Russian PEN Center were drafteda petition demanding to stop the pogrom of the Ukrainian library. The document states that the persecution of its employees is nothing more than political repression, which should be stopped immediately. The petition was signed, in particular, by K. Azadovsky, S. Aleksievich, A. Gelman, B. Grebenshchikov, S. Parkhomenko, L. Rubinshtein, V. Shenderovich and many other Russian writers and journalists.
