Bookstores — a new chapter in Kyiv’s social life

Book publishing is thriving in Ukraine and bookshops keep popping up

Six years ago I moved to Kyiv, and quickly realized my new home was the city of coffee and cafes. Third-wave coffee shops – where pour-over and filtered coffee were as common order as espresso and latte – had already been aplenty here. From time to time, new places would pop up on familiar streets and I would curiously walk in to inspect and investigate them. I even had an Instagram page with reviews of those coffee shops.

Different crowds gathered in different places and brought different “vibes” with them. Some attracted busy lawyers, some lured in fashion folks and most others harboured frustrated hipsters and others. Some resented americanos, while others celebrated the freedom of choice and, hence, allowed old tastes to carry on. It was a diverse ecosystem of old and new ways of drinking coffee.

Kyiv is where I tried my first cup of speciality coffee.

I wouldn’t be surprised if my last cup will happen here too.

Cafes in Kyiv still occupy an important place in social life. But since Russia invaded Ukraine, people started to gravitate towards something more potent. After many decades of oppression, sinister influence and discrimination, Ukrainian culture is finally getting freer and fuller in its expression. Two and a half years later, that led us to the rise of books and bookstores – the new centres of culture…