Ukrainian refugees left their books behind. A Montreal library brings them back

This story is a collaboration between Concordia University's journalism department and CBC Montreal.

"One book, one toy."

These are the instructions many Ukrainian parents gave their children when they had to suddenly flee their homes after the Russian invasion in February 2022, according to Kathy Smolynec.

"It is heartbreaking if you love books," said Smolynec, a second-generation Ukrainian Canadian from Montreal and president of the Ukrainian National Federation of Quebec (UNF).

Smolynec says her daughter, who lives in Montreal, was anxious she would never again be able to read Ukrainian books to her toddler. She believed Russia would take over and ban them entirely, breaking the supply chain between Ukraine and Canada.

That's when Smolynec realized the need for a Ukrainian library in Montreal. Not just for her family, but also for the nearly 150,000 Ukrainians that have arrived in Canada since January 2022. 

Smolynec's parents immigrated to Montreal after the Second World War. The only piece of literature they took with them was a copy of Taras Shevchenko's Kobzar, a masterpiece of Ukrainian poetry. 

"I did not read books in the Ukrainian language until my children were born. I read them bedtime stories and later started reading in Ukrainian for myself," Smolynec said, proudly. 

Refugees today are also coming to Canada with very few possessions. 

And while housing, employment and food programs support newcomers starting a new life in Montreal, few organizations provide for cultural needs.

In response, the UNF is opening a library fully dedicated to literature in Ukrainian. 

It will open on April 30 at the federation's headquarters at the corner of Fairmount Avenue and Hutchison Street in the city's Outremont borough. 

"We are hoping to give them access to the books that they left behind," Smolynec said.

From a dream to reality

The UNF dreamed of renovating its old book room for years, but lack of specialized staff prevented the community organization from acting.

When Smolynec received an unexpected call from a Ukrainian librarian and refugee ready to offer her expertise, her hope was rekindled.

After several months of work, the volunteer turned 50 large boxes full of documents donated mostly from the community over the years into a bookworm's paradise.

The library is in a space the size of a small classroom in the UNF headquarters. Once underused and crowded with the community's archives and ancient books, the revamped library now displays over 5,000 books organized from floor to ceiling on metallic shelves. 

A large glass-paned cabinet safely holds the most precious pieces of literature, including a copy of Shevchenko's Kobzar. A bust of the poet sits on a wooden desk, keeping an eye on operations.

Under a stained glass window at the back of the room, a wooden reading chair and colourful children's books line the walls.

Smolynec says importing books from Ukraine was surprisingly easy, with transport only taking a few weeks.

She says the demand for literature from home is usually low among Ukrainians in Canada, as immigrants assimilate and later generations lose their ancestors' language. However, the recent influx of Ukrainian newcomers is a radical shift.

"Now, there are people who want books, want community, want culture, want contact," Smolynec said.

But Adriana Fedorowycz, a third-generation Canadian Ukrainian from Mississauga, Ont., says that low demand has more to do with what kind of books have been available.

"The books that I found [are] not necessarily reflective of the modern culture that exists," she said.

Smolynec believes the new library's contemporary literature collection will bridge that gap.

'Books in Ukrainian are vital' 

Weekly story times will complement on-site resources and loans at the library. Community members such as Katya Dudnik will offer readings to children every Sunday.

Dudnik, an illustrator from Kyiv, arrived in Montreal with her two boys several months ago. She had to leave her book collection behind because of luggage weight restrictions.

"It is an amazing idea," Dudnik said of the UNF's initiative.

"Books are known to develop children's imagination. Until children can read in English and French, books in Ukrainian are vital for them." 

Iryna Baturevych, an editor and journalist from Kyiv, left her country a month before the invasion started with only a few books. She didn't realize how long it would be before she could return. 

"Had I known, I would have brought my entire library," she said

"Ukrainian classics, art books, books my mother would read to me, brilliant translations."

Since fleeing the war, Baturevych's son, Fedir, has suffered from anxiety and, like many displaced children, has found it difficult to understand the war.

"Books can reduce that stress," Baturevych said.

She was able to visit the new library before its opening, picking up a 1963 compilation of Ukrainian modernist writer Olha Kobylianska's feminist works.

And Fedir has put his name in the library's registry, excitedly awaiting its opening.

 In Ukrainian or Russian?

After months of meticulous categorization, labelling and storing, the UNF's dream became a reality. However, it did not come without making difficult decisions.

Pieces of literature in Russian donated over the years were removed from the shelves. Even Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky and Alexander Pushkin's classics did not belong, according to Smolynec.

"The language you speak in Ukraine has become even more politicized than ever," she said. 

Baturevych also strongly supports removing Russian literature.

Re-reading Russian classics later in life, she noticed what she called stereotypical and insulting ways in which Ukrainian characters are sometimes depicted.

She said keeping these books at the UNF's library could trigger trauma for some readers. 

Smolynec is now looking to give them away to an anti-war Russian community. 

"Books are sacred," said Smolynec, who categorically refuses to discard them. "I would love to give them to somebody who values books but also values human life."

Online offerings

The UNF's library will not manage to reach all Ukrainians, especially those that settled in Quebec's regions. But electronic books could be an alternative to expand accessibility to literature for newcomers across the province.

Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ) is moving in this direction. The use of their digital resources has increased by 48 per cent in comparison to pre-pandemic figures. 

BAnQ's Grande Bibliothèque, located in Montreal's Latin Quarter, offers a multilingual collection consisting of 25,000 print documents in 11 different languages. While there is no Ukrainian section in this collection, plans to acquire more digital editions could permit more languages to enter the catalogue, according to the Grande Bibliothèque's collection director, Mélanie Dumas. 

There are around 30 books in Ukrainian dispersed around the Grande Bibliothèque. 

"We must not neglect these cultural needs," Manon Beauchemin, another librarian at BAnQ's Grande Bibliothèque, said. 

Dumas and her colleague have not yet seen a strong demand for Ukrainian literature but say their offer will adapt if needed. 

Smolynec stresses that libraries are irreplaceable places for the community where members can connect, discover unexpected stories and enrich their knowledge.

Baturevych also thinks printed books are more adapted to children's needs. 

"I brought five to 10 Ukrainian books that my son loves. They are childish, but he feels safe when he has them," she explained, as Fedir holds onto his mother tightly.

Baturevych, who has dedicated her career to spreading awareness about the importance of Ukrainian literature, is convinced the UNF's library will have a positive impact on the community shaken by violence. 

"I understand that culture is not something that will solve the war," Baturevych said. 

"But if you have a strong culture, you can understand who you are."