Garage Sale and Volunteer Call at Smoloskyp Bookstore
Kyiv's Smoloskyp bookstore has announced a garage sale and a call for volunteers after its basement storage was flooded with boiling water due to a major heating pipe burst. The incident occurred the day before, with hot water pouring into the space for five consecutive hours. Water levels in the basement reached knee height, and the air temperature soared to 60 degrees Celsius.
The cleanup effort and sale of salvaged books will begin on June 11 at 12:00 PM at 21 Mezhyhirska Street (Podil). All damaged editions are priced uniformly at 200 hryvnias. Poet Pavlo Korobchuk was the first to report the disaster, having helped bookstore staff rescue initial batches of books.
Aftermath of the Utility Accident
The utility failure occurred in the basement of the Smoloskyp publishing house. The flow of hot water has been stopped, and cleanup operations are ongoing. The bookstore addressed the public with the following message:
“Friends, first of all, thank you all for your support. Your words, donations, and presence today helped us immensely—we couldn’t have managed on our own. But there is still much work to be done, and we must once again ask you to come at 12:00 PM today to help sort through what remains.” — Smoloskyp Bookstore
This situation underscores the importance of supporting cultural institutions, especially during crises. Smoloskyp Bookstore has deep roots in Ukrainian culture and literature, and its recovery will be a landmark for the community. The volunteer gathering and sale of rescued books will not only aid the store but also encourage public participation in joint initiatives that help revitalize cultural life in Kyiv. This incident highlights how infrastructure failures can threaten cultural heritage, prompting communities to rally together.
The recent flooding incident at Smoloskyp highlights the vulnerabilities faced by cultural institutions in Kyiv. For a deeper understanding of how this disaster unfolded and its impact on the publishing house, you can read more about the flooding incident that lasted for five hours in our detailed report.