Throughout February, nine Ukrainian bookshelves were set up in six countries: Greece, Finland, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, and Morocco, as announced by First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska.
In Greece, four bookshelves were opened at: the Central Public Library of Veria, the Central Public Library of Katerini, the Central Municipal Library of Nea Moudania, and the Ilios Volunteer Center for Ukrainian mothers and children in Peraia.
Additionally, to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian Consul presented a bilingual Ukrainian-Greek edition of "Poems from the Embrasure" by Ukrainian poet and defender Maksym "Dali" Kryvtsov, which was published in Greece in January 2024.
In Finland, the fifth Ukrainian bookshelf was opened – this time at the Lahti Library. Since the first day of Russia’s full-scale aggression, Lahti has been actively supporting Ukraine, particularly its sister city – Zaporizhzhia.
In Poland, the presentation of a Ukrainian bookshelf took place on International Mother Language Day at the Tadeusz Gumiński Public Library in Legnica.
In Hungary, representatives of the Embassy of Ukraine donated Ukrainian books to a kindergarten in Budapest, attended by around 20 young Ukrainian children.
In the Kingdom of Morocco, Ukrainian books were introduced to the university library of Ibn Zohr University in Agadir. Discussions are also ongoing about expanding academic and research cooperation between this university and Ukrainian higher education institutions and research institutes.
Another bookshelf was opened in Portugal, at the library in Matosinhos. Previously, Ukrainian books had also been introduced in Porto, Espinho, and Viseu.
"We are implementing this project because we want Ukraine to be heard and understood everywhere. Through our literature and original sources, we aim to help both Ukrainians abroad and those seeking deep, objective knowledge about our culture and history maintain a connection with Ukraine," said the First Lady.
The "Ukrainian Bookshelf" project has already been implemented under Olena Zelenska’s patronage in 54 countries and at UNESCO headquarters. In total, 230 bookshelves have been opened, featuring 55,000 books.