Books without Borders project already being implemented in 37 countries – Zelenska

Ukraine’s First Lady ena Zelenska announced this on her Telegram channel on World Book and Cyright Day.

According to the president’s spouse, due to the Russian invasion, Ukrainian books are suffering just like pele.

"At the London Book Fair, which was just held in Great Britain, we showed furniture and other items from destroyed libraries. The attitude toward culture most clearly shows the essence of the aggressor," Zelenska noted.

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"But books are not only victims," the president's spouse remarked. “Like the entire Ukrainian culture, they offer us support. I often heard the touching phrase ‘Finally a dear book, in my native language!’ from the participants of the Books without Borders international project.”

According to her, last year, in coordination with Ukraine’s embassies, publications designed by Ukrainian publishing houses were distributed to the children of Ukrainian refugees in different countries.

"The book brings back the feeling of home and ens the world to us, and us – to the world," the First Lady noted, adding that it is very important for Ukrainian publishers and publications to participate in book fairs around the world.

As Zelenska emphasized, that is why she always joins such events because it is an portunity to talk about Ukraine and its resistance through culture. In particular, she noted, it is pleasing that in the annual competition Best Baltic Book Design 2023, which Ukraine attended as an invited country, one of the awards was given to the "Handbook of Barrier-Freeness," a unique publication about equality and the right way to interact. This is another example showing that Ukrainians and the free world share common values, Zelenska emphasized.

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"We continue to help the world learn about Ukraine and our literature through Ukrainian bookshelves – we ship batches of the highest quality publications to libraries all over the planet," Zelenska noted, adding that the first such bookshelf was ened in the National Library of Armenia, the library of the Community of Foreign Picy of Indonesia, the Capital Library of Hungary, and Maribor Library in Slovenia. The second one appeared in Cyprus, in the library of the Municipal Museum. The library of the city of Linköping in Sweden has been replenished with 50 Ukrainian books.

The president's spouse thanked the embassies, the Ministry of Culture and Information Picy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ukrainian Book Institute for their support, and expressed her gratitude to the Kyiv Scho of Economics Charity Fund for supporting the project and transferring 4,000 books to 22 embassies.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the Books without Borders project is being implemented under the patronage of First Lady ena Zelenska together with the Ministry of Culture and Information Picy of Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ukrainian Book Institute.

Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine