September completed a summer tourist season in the Carpathians. Several months of relative calm - and pulled into the mountains skiing and supporters of exotic Christmas.
In a kaleidoscope of impressions recently took the book - and as a means of entertainment, and how their own products to tourists. So the question, what books can offer the visitor in this recreational area, is especially important for publishers and book distributors, we are talking primarily about the benefits and profits.
Take for example the publication of the book of life and history of the two fairly well-known cities turistichestam - Mukachevo and Yaremche. Mukachevo - primarily known for its architectural and historical monuments (Castle, a Gothic chapel, church, etc.) and the actual mountains, starting already outside the city limits. Data on the number of tourists there, but they are many, a significant percentage of foreigners, most of all - the Hungarians. But Yaremcha - health resort, located right in the mountains. During 2010, there was visited by about 400 thousand tourists, half of them visited the city in early August. In Yaremcha come not only from other regions of Ukraine but also from all over Europe. Surprisingly, among the foreign tourists are not noticeable domination of the Poles. In both cities, few bookstores. In Mukachevo - several, in Yaremche one (of the population, respectively, 80 and 8000 people). Although little books are sold, and in some non-specialized stores, for example, in one department with chandeliers or near the veterinary clinic.
Despite the stereotype of the ideal Ukrainian-Carpathians, in stores in both cities the percentage of books in the national language is not even half. The smallest number of them in Mukachevo. Reasons for this may be alignment of two parts: firstly, the Ukrainian consumer indifference to the language of reading ("make it clear"), and secondly, not enough active work with the bookstores by the Ukrainian book publishers (probably quite active on the background of Russian publishers) .
And talk about non-perception of Ukrainian books are not necessary - and among the tourists and the local population Ukrainian speech definitely dominates. But the interests of readers from other countries clearly forgotten: books in European languages is almost there. It is hoped that all speak Russian.
Carpathians clearly need in the literature, at least in English, Polish, Hungarian and German languages. Among the proposals in the structure of the book tour edges, of course, is dominated by the local lore, cartographic literature. Each year, definitely improves the situation with maps and route publications. A lot of them, they are very diverse in content and designed for any pocket. A little more difficult with the proper local lore. Photo album is not small, but interesting and publications with high quality text is not enough. For example, in Mukachevo sold the book "Mukachevo and mukachevtsy" 1994 edition. Very poor print quality, design, plus boring socialist realist pathos too talented of the text (a compilation of essays about historical events and prominent townspeople, including nearly half - of the "real Soviet workers," which, of course, very interesting to tourists and by mukachevtsam!) . The resulting book, which should be purchased primarily (similar editions of competitors in the sale does not), sold for ten years.
worth paying attention to the fact seems to be a complete lack of translating the book one of the most significant historical landmarks Carpathians - fighting with the UPA. Would not stir, and literature of the Austrian times, the Hungarian uprising, the dictatorship of Pilsudski and so on. In short, everything that can be bought in Lviv. Fairly standard contains reference and dictionary literature. Few popular encyclopedias and dictionaries of the major. While it is recognized that in the Carpathians reference books - not the most important. But here felt the language issue. Where multidirectional phrasebooks necessary for an adequate understanding between the Ukrainian owners and the guests? This is especially true for Yaremche, where the private sector lives a lot of tourists, in contrast to the predominantly hotel Mukachevo. And in the few available dictionaries and phrase books, again the same "local" language is Russian. But the good is allocated Yaremcha its selection of children's and professional books. A significant portion - translations of foreign works into Ukrainian - by Crocodile Gena to Harry Potter, in particular edition of "A-BA-BA-HA-LA-MA-GI." In Mukachevo children's publications, in particular Ukrainian less.
Fiction - eternal problem of the province, though the tourist attractive. Although anyone could refute the generally accepted stereotype that modern Ukrainian literary works can be purchased in the cities, not below the rank of the regional center? At least, not in Yaremche and not in Mukachevo. Of modern Ukrainian literature, at least "quality" is not here. Perhaps the publishers believe that their books are all the same except for Kiev and lvovchan nobody reads, but they can still buy a home?
In Yaremche stores - an unprecedented choice of the late Soviet and used books. Part of the world and Russian classics and some Ukrainian. If you can sell major works by Platonov, does not Prokhasko? Or Ukrainian of the twentieth century that the last "fifteen years" begin to be reprinted? " In Mukachevo is no big offers used books, but there are a number of works by local writers. Also the industry needs, in turn forgotten in Yaremche. Again, it appears that either no time or desire to engage in the proliferation of books, or is that the taste of all people (except, of course, publishers and authors themselves) a priori bad, so there is nothing rypatsya.
a separate discussion topic - the fate of reading more than 30 million Ukrainians who do not live in regional centers. But with the "pop" literature in the Carpathians no problems. Detectives, romance, horror (all, of course, in Russian) are available in a wide range in the most visible locations. Sort of "Carpathian gold».
think a lot of things should change the store owners of this amazing region, to be sure that every visitor will be satisfied with their schools and will have something to read at bedtime, and that lucky home as a souvenir. On the one hand, like those books, which are clearly not enough, or the like - easy to find at any exhibition in the capital city of Lviv or shops, but on the other - where they are most needed, the same tourist for some reason they did not see . We have, it seems absolutely pristine aesthetic, intellectual and market spaces. Try to fill them - a requirement not only visionary European standards, and, above all, elementary common sense.