Back in the day, hotels in Kharkiv prided themselves first and foremost on their libraries, and only secondarily on their restaurants. And that was wonderful.

For example, the “London” Hotel on Torgovaya Square offered rooms ranging from 75 kopecks to 2 rubles per night and specifically advertised its library, “comprising the works of the finest Russian and foreign writers and classics.” The hotel restaurant was open until 1 a.m.; two-course dinners were offered for 30 kopecks, and three-course dinners for 45 kopecks.