Welcome! And Read Ukrainian Books

Welcome! And Read Ukrainian Books was developed by Kul’tura e.V. in cooperation with the Berlin Central and Regional Library (ZLB) and 18 Berlin district libraries. The project built on the acquisition of around 2,000 Ukrainian-language books for children and adults in June 2022.

Its aim was to make this new collection more visible and to create meeting places for Ukrainians who had recently arrived in Berlin. Through readings, workshops, round-table discussions, fishbowl conversations and exchanges with local institutions, participants could discover Ukrainian literature, connect with people in their neighbourhoods and become more involved in Berlin’s cultural and social life.

Ukrainian refugees were actively included in identifying the community’s needs, developing the programme and coordinating activities. Particular attention was given to women, children and people of different ages and backgrounds, including those experiencing isolation or the consequences of displacement. The planned programme combined the preservation of Ukrainian cultural identity with opportunities for participation, dialogue and integration.

Berlin has taken in several thousand refugees from Ukraine, the vast majority of them women and children. They urgently need books in Ukrainian. To address this need, the German-Ukrainian association kul’tura e.V., the Berlin Central and Regional Library, Rotary Club Berlin-Süd and the German Publishers and Booksellers Association are carrying out a joint project. At the same time, the initiative aims to support Ukrainian publishers and authors and encourage the integration of refugees into German civil society.

kul’tura e.V. is organising the purchase of approximately 1,800 books for children and young people, as well as books for adults, from publishers in Ukraine. The purchase is financed by Rotary Club Berlin-Süd. The Berlin Central and Regional Library will provide Ukrainian refugees with free library cards for the participating district libraries and will permanently add the books to its lending collection.

To raise awareness of the service within the Ukrainian diaspora community, the project partners are jointly developing outreach and educational activities.

Project information

Period: 1 September–31 December 2022
Location: Berlin, with activities planned for selected district libraries
Target audience: Ukrainian refugees, particularly women, children and families