In the book *Half a Century for a Book. 1866–1916: A Literary and Artistic Anthology Dedicated to the 50th Anniversary of I.D. Sytin’s Publishing Career,” published in 1916, contains the following inspiring description of our city:

A future historian of Kharkiv will note that our city was not renowned for the beauty of its location, nor could it boast of ancient monuments or works of art, but what it did have in abundance was a spirit of community! This is what one local citizen said at the anniversary celebration of the Kharkiv Public Library, and his words accurately capture the immense force that, by supporting private initiative, created a number of institutions in Kharkiv—especially in the field of public education—that became famous throughout Russia.