Chytomo

For 16 years, we have been writing about books and literature. It is deeply moving to find our editorial team included in a Knyholove book “Kulturni” among the figures who have shaped the history of culture and media in Ukraine 🫶

Flood aftermath could force My Bookshelf bookstore to close its doors My Bookshelf bookstore on Teatralna Street in Kyiv suffered significant damage from a heating system malfunction. Hot water and steam ruined most of the books.

This winter is hard for Ukrainians. And for our bookshops.
chytomo.com/en/flood-aft...

Get more from Chytomo on Patreon Covering the State of Literature and Publishing in Ukraine

Our readers donated $13,780 in 2025 via Patreon and Liqpay. ❤️ If you value what we do, please support here!
Help us secure 2026 — which is still very fragile for us. Every dollar helps our team hold on until spring and continue working in better conditions.

Chytomo in 2025: USAID cancellation, Andrey Kurkov’s opinion, and major awards One of our key missions is to continue to speak about Ukraine and other underrepresented neighboring countries in Central and Eastern Europe. The existence of Chytomo’s English-language version is 70%...

The real summary of the year can only be done after awarding the best publishing projects of the year (see previous posts!), so now we can finally show off the achievements of our editorial team! And present you one of the most incredible one... ↘️ chytomo.com/en/chytomo-i...

Russian drone attack damages Ukraine’s National Library for Children Debris from a Russian drone fell near the building of the National Library of Ukraine for Children, causing damage to the library premises.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Russia has destroyed or damaged more than 850 libraries in Ukraine since the outbreak of the full-scale invasion: chytomo.com/en/russian-d...

Debris from a Russian drone fell near the building of the National Library of Ukraine for Children, causing damage to the library premises.

Book Arsenal launches open call for 2026 Fellowship Program Foreign publishers, rights managers, literary agents, and other professionals of the book industry interested in cooperation with Ukraine are invited to participate in the competitive selection for th...

OPPORTUNITY! Book Arsenal launches open call for 2026 Fellowship Program. Please, share with publishers, literary agents and rights managers — the end of spring is beautiful in Kyiv. chytomo.com/en/book-arse...

Our amazing audience — those who endured blackouts, no heating, extreme cold, and constant shelling in Kyiv — thank you so much for sharing this evening with us! chytomo.com/en/2025-chyt...

Our very special guest – German publisher and one of the shortlisted Ambassadors of the Ukrainian literature, Andre Störr, head of the publishing house Verlag Friedrich Mauke KG. Thank you for your support, Andre! #ChytomoAward

Guests had the opportunity to listen to the song "Miriam" performed by artist Chuprynenko and Viltse band. The song is dedicated to Alla Pushkarchuk, a soldier and Chytomo's ex news editor, who died on April 25, 2024, as a result of Russian missile fire on the front line.

Osnovy Publishing – photo by Nastia Telikova

🏅 Special Frankfurter Buchmesse Recognition
Osnovy Publishing — awarded a stand at the 2026 Frankfurt Book Fair. “This project embodies sustainability — cultural, creative, and economic. It shows how responsibility and innovation can go hand in hand,” — Vladka Kupska, FBF representative.

Andrii Ovcharuk with Chytomo Award cofounder Iryna Baturevych - photo by Nastia Telikova

📖 Book Initiative Promoting Reading
“Book to the Front” by NGO Cultural Forces — for systematically developing reading as a tool for growth and psychological support for military personnel, complementing cultural rehabilitation programs for veterans. #ChytomoAward

Olesia Ostrovska-Liuta – photo by Nastia Telikova

🌍 Ambassador of UA Books: Yulia Kozlovets — for building sustainable institutional links between UA and international partners and developing effective formats for cultural advocacy. Olesia Ostrovska-Liuta, Director General “Mystetskyi Arsenal”, accepted the Award #ChytomoAward

Bookstore “Sense” and Bohdana Laiuk – photo by Nastia Telikova

📚 Trendsetter of the Publishing Market
Bookstore “Sense” — for creating an open book space for dialogue and cultural diplomacy, connecting readers and cultural actors in Ukraine and worldwide, and creatively promoting reading as a social practice. #ChytomoAward

Chytomo team – photo by Nastia Telikova

🎉 We announced the winners of the 2025 #ChytomoAward!
The award honors individuals and organizations for outstanding achievements in Ukraine’s publishing industry. The ceremony took place on January 29 in Kyiv.

We’ve just attended the Responsibility Award Ceremony at the Museum of the Second World War, and today it was damaged by a Russian attack (photos: Ukrainian Culture Ministry)

Ukrainian literature in English translation – Chapter Ukraine Build your own bookshelf dedicated to Ukrainian literature in English translation. | Chapter Ukraine

Btw, here is Chapter Ukraine: all available Ukrainian books in translations: in English, German, French and Spanish. chapterukraine.com

Chytomo and Craft were shortlisted for the Responsibility Award 🙌 with Chapter Ukraine, in the category “Collaboration Without Borders”. The ceremony took place today, on Ukraine’s Day of Unity. Congratulations to the winners: Strichka, Cherkasy Institute of the City, and Memorial of Heroes!

Photo by Nastia Telikova

5/5 Especially against the backdrop of summer Kyiv, or Lviv, or Poltava, or Kharkiv, or Odesa, or any other blooming city in Ukraine.

I wish to wait for this summer. For all of us to wait.5

AI-generated image. Used for illustrative purposes only.

4/5 I went to pick up a red summer dress that I ordered at a discount. I imagine that in about six months it will be summer again, and warmth. I imagine that with red lipstick, the dress will look especially good on me.

Photo from The Earthling Co. Used for illustrative purposes

3/5 We've already learned how to apply makeup by touch and by candlelight. Such a makeup, coupled with a lack of sleep, has its own charming flair. Dry shampoo is among my discoveries of the year. You can look not so bad, even when the water disappears, and it is very cold in the house.

Oksana Khmelyovska, Chytomo co-founder

2/5 "But this weather has its perks – you can grab some ice straight from the balcony and put it in the fridge to maintain the temperature... ↘️

Kyiv, Jan 2026

1/5 UA cities are sunk in darkness; the processes in our editorial team have slowed down, and it’s freezing cold even in apartments. A new luxury is moving to a village house with a wood-burning stove, but it’s not always possible. Here is a post from Chytomo’s cofounder, Oksana Khmelyovska:

Chapter Ukraine on the long list for the Responsibility Award Chapter Ukraine digital platform, created by Chytomo and Craft Media, has been shortlisted for the Responsibility Award, established by the Bohdan Hawrylyshyn Family Foundation.

chytomo.com/en/chapter-u...

Chapter Ukraine, a digital platform created by Chytomo and Craft Media, is on the longlist for the Responsibility Award. The project was selected from 165 applications — and in our category, “Interaction Without Borders: Ukraine to the World,” only 8 projects will compete for the award 🏆

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The best Ukrainian prose: Chytomo Picks 2025 On Dec. 22 in Kyiv, literary critics announced the best Ukrainian prose books of 2025, both fiction and autofiction. The event took place at the Readeat bookstore, an official partner of the award. Th...

Check the full list: chytomo.com/en/the-best-...

“Aurora Borealis” by Maksym Hakh – Chytomo Picks winner

5/ “Aurora Borealis” by Maksym Hakh combines mythical fantasy, alternative history, cyberpunk, and a spy thriller with exquisite ease. New Ukrainian speculative fiction seeks and experiments, and it is fascinating to witness this process. #ChytomoPicks

Anna Gruver’s novel “Stillness” – Chytomo Picks winner

4/ Anna Gruver’s novel “Stillness” captures the sensitivity of the modern era, when the world ‘falls apart into pieces'. The author shows how a stance of non-intervention in times of war becomes a position that enables evil and how human value is devalued in modern mass media #ChytomoPicks

“Hemingway Knows Nothing” by Artur Dron – Chytomo Picks winner

3/ Artur Dron. “Hemingway Knows Nothing”: this collection of short prose explores the widespread misunderstanding of war, soldiers, and ethics—a misunderstanding shaped by unrepresentative voices that distort even the “death of God,” leaving it half-spoken and warped. #ChytomoPicks