Uzhgorod: Top 5 good ideas that have disappeared. Unfortunately…

Great ideas and initiatives appear from time to time in Uzhgorod public life that attract many people for their progressiveness, originality, usefulness.  But many of them, over time, gradually become commonplace, and then just disappear. Let us recall the most brilliant of them.

1. Suspended coffee

Known journalist and enthusiast of all unusual Oleksandr Popovych saw this really generous and good idea in 2011 in Italy, brought it to Uzhgorod and contributed to its popularization. Unfortunately, Sasha has passed away.

The idea was that initially in the "Tiramisu" coffee shop (Mustard Seed Lane), and then in more than two dozen other institutions, people could pay for a cup of coffee, tea or cakes in advance not for themselves but for any stranger who would come later and would take such a gift.

The initiative became really trendy, many institutions joined it, decorated their doors with the logo – two colored palms – and placed boards informing about the available "suspended" products.

Later, Uzhgorod residents started to "suspend" bread, medicines, chocolates and even dumplings. But everything passes. 5 years later, we can ascertain that "suspended coffee" in the regional center of Transcarpathia has completely disappeared. The latest location, where we were able to see this phenomenon last year, was the coffee trailer "Pan Kavil" on the corner of Koryatovich street and Bakoniy lane. Now the institution is gone, as well as the idea itself. 

– First, the trend for it as something new has ended. – Hanna, a waitress of an institution, which once supported the initiative, told us, – Second, it turned out that there was a lot more those, who wanted to take advantage of it, than those willing to buy something for a stranger. I remember an old man would come to us, ask whether someone had suspended two cups, and ask to hold them. In 15 minutes, he would return with his wife, well dressed, albeit in a cheap, but neat and ironed clothes. And with somewhat a festive mood. Probably they could not afford to have a really high-quality, more expensive coffee otherwise, and such opportunity was almost a holiday for them. It was very touching. But over time, the old man would leave empty-handed more and more often…

2. Book-Crossing

Not so long ago, last autumn two small booths were installed in Uzhgorod with quite a lot of fanfare. They looked slightly like old telephone booths, but had a different purpose: the idea was for book-crossing – the exchange of books between bibliophile strangers – to take place there. The idea was good – after you have read any book, you could bring it to the booth, leave it to someone else, and instead choose something interesting left by predecessors.

 But in less than six months, as we can see, the idea has not caught on. Now, you will notice in the book booths just a couple of magazines from Jehovah’s Witnesses. Moreover, they are locked. 

Why so? – we asked Yevhenia Napuda, the chief librarian of the service department of Transcarpathian Regional Universal Scientific Library. 

– Either people did not get the idea or they are just irresponsible. Maybe, it is because of our mentality. We, librarians, were constantly leaving books in the booth and then saw them at "flea markets". It’s very depressing, how can we talk about positive changes in the country, when even book-crossing – a simple example and mutual responsibility to the community – shows the opposite?

– And who has the keys to the booths? And is there any alternative to the booths in the library?

– Librarians have the keys. We open and close a book-crossing point at the library according to the library working hours. As for the alternative, there is a similar point in the library, it is located in the department "Window to America". There is mainly foreign literature there.

3. "Polibus"

In February 2014, a very positive, bright and colorful spot appeared on the dark winter streets of Uzhgorod – coffee-bus "Polibus." A young entrepreneur Pavlo Veresh bought an old LAZ, completely restored it, set up equipment for a mini-cafe and tables inside – and the original coffee house opened its doors to visitors. Everything was done very tastefully and cozy, a pool of loyal customers began to form.

But then problems began – regulatory organizations, economic crime police, traffic police, representatives of the economic department of the municipality began bothering the entrepreneur with inspections. The owner of one of the institutions on Zhupanatska street would write complaints everywhere that the "Polibus" was allegedly spoiling the view of the window of her store. So, not having worked even six months, the bus left Uzhgorod. 

Earlier this year there were rumors that the "Polibus" now works in Perechyn. We asked Pavlo Veresh about it.

– No, in Perechyn, they arranged a regular tavern in a bus. And the "Polibus" is now riding and selling coffee in Kyiv.  Quite successfully…

Pity…

4. Yard-Sale

Back in 2012, Uzhgorod resident Valentin Klyepakov, cyclist and traveler, decided to implement in Uzhgorod the idea, which he had seen while traveling – yard-sale. The idea is that people can get together in the city center and hold a sale of unneeded, old, useless things. In the West, it is a fairly common practice, during which people sometimes get rid of quite expensive things that just fell out of fashion.

The fair was organized and during first actions people indeed could buy books, toys, kitchen utensils, old photo equipment, musical instruments and more. However, during subsequent yard-sales, counters were gradually fully taken over by hand-made products, ie made specifically for sale. No doubt, there are really unique and interesting products there, these fairs are very positive, good and necessary. But…

But the idea of yard-sale as organized sale of your own, but unnecessary things seems to be disappearing.

5. Garbage sorting.

Excellent, progressive, ecological idea – to encourage residents to sort waste before they get rid of it. About 8-10 years ago, Uzhgorod even received grant money to buy new containers – for glass, for paper, for plastic products, and for food waste.

They were located throughout the city. This approach to the problem of waste management would really have brought us closer to Europe.

But it did not happen. It is the fault of Uzhgorod residents themselves – with very rare exceptions, no one would bother, and an overwhelming majority of citizens still throw away all waste in one bag. Sadly we must admit that we are not ready for Europe mentally.

Of course, we can remember many more good initiatives that have disappeared and have not caught on in our city.  Some believe that functioning of the Children’s Railroad must be in this list, some will remember a wonderful idea of ​​multimedia signs for tourists, that have not yet started working as intended, some will sadly remember that last year the colorful Bride Parade did not take place and it is unknown whether it will in 2016.

But the sad conclusion that can be drawn is that in most cases, it is ourselves who are responsible for the disappearance of good ideas…