Ukrainian Bookshelf Opens at the National Library of the Czech Republic
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, The Gaze reports, citing the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications.
The opening is part of the global initiative launched by the First Lady to promote Ukrainian language and culture abroad. The project has already reached 57 countries, placing more than 240 Ukrainian bookshelves in libraries worldwide — including at UNESCO’s library — with a collection of over 50,000 books.
“Our bookshelves are not only about supporting the Ukrainian language. They are about fostering understanding between countries and cultures — about the opportunity to learn the truth from primary sources, without distortion or stereotypes,” emphasized Olena Zelenska.
In addition, the library currently hosts an exhibition dedicated to the 150th anniversary of renowned Ukrainian composer, conductor, and ethnographer Oleksandr Koshyts.
The Ukrainian Bookshelf initiative has been expanding globally, with recent additions to the Toronto Public Library in Canada and the Central Scientific Library in Liepāja, Latvia. It is now represented in Albania, Belgium, Jordan, Spain, Croatia, Japan, Lebanon and 14 other Arab countries, Austria, and France — including major institutions such as the National Libraries of Albania, Jordan, and Spain; libraries in Brussels, Zagreb, Split, Yokohama, Tokyo, Linz, and Paris.
“The geography of our project continues to expand,” stated Olena Zelenska. “It doesn’t matter whether there are hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees in a country or just over a thousand, like in Japan. What matters is that wherever Ukrainians live, Ukrainian books appear — as a bridge between home and their temporary place of living. As a sign for foreigners that, even in war, we prioritize culture. Because for us, that’s a basic need — especially preserving our language and roots, which Russian occupiers are trying to erase.”
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