​​Ukraine’s “Book Shelf” Project Reaches the Philippines and Georgia

Ukraine’s cultural diplomacy initiative “Ukrainian Bookshelf” has reached two new destinations — the Philippines and Georgia — marking the 60th and 61st countries to join the project, First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska announced, The Gaze reports.

“Between Georgia and the Philippines there are 8,000 kilometers, but both countries are now connected by Ukrainian literature,” Zelenska said. The newest bookshelves have been established at the National Library of the Philippines and the Ukrainian House in Batumi, Georgia.

More than 260 Ukrainian bookshelves have now been opened in libraries around the world. They offer readers a range of materials, including modern and classical Ukrainian literature, history books, poetry, and educational textbooks — many in both Ukrainian and translated editions.

Among the books in the newest collections are works by authors currently defending Ukraine on the front lines, including children’s stories by writer, artist, and soldier Valerii Puzik.

As Zelenska highlighted: “As representatives of the Ukrainian embassy said at the bookshelf’s opening, ‘this is a reminder that even those who create fairy tales are defending reality today.’”

“This is what makes our books, our art, and our culture more relevant than ever — everywhere,” Zelenska continued. “It’s the culture of a people who are defending life, freedom, and dignity. Not just for themselves, but for everyone, because they are defending human rights themselves.”

In just the first month of summer, the project has expanded to several more countries:

• Two new shelves in Poland (Tarnów and Rybnik public libraries)

• One in South Korea (Seoul’s oldest public library)

• One in Hungary (Nyírbátor City Library)

• Another in Portugal (Coimbra Municipal Library)

• A new shelf in Brampton Library, Toronto, Canada

The “Ukrainian Bookshelf” project was initiated by the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, in 2020. Its aim is to promote Ukrainian literature around the world and give the Ukrainian diaspora — and global readers access to Ukrainian voices.

As The Gaze previously reported, during her official visit to the Czech Republic, First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska visited the National Library of the Czech Republic, where she and the library’s director, Tomáš Foltýn, inaugurated a new Ukrainian Bookshelf.