The winners of the Chytomo Award, given to individuals and organizations for outstanding achievements in book publishing, have been announced. The winners were revealed at a formal awards ceremony held on Jan. 29, 2026 in Kyiv.
This marks the third year the Chytomo Award has been presented.
“Chytomo Award has already become a strong and recognizable brand in Ukraine’s cultural landscape, establishing standards for the entire publishing sector and motivating industry participants to reach new levels. Sustainable projects drive the changes the whole industry needs. This is very important to us, and we are glad that our partners, whose support makes the award possible, share the same vision,” said Oleksandr Mymruk, jury chair, managing editor and head of the Chytomo public organization.
“All the shortlisted candidates were genuinely deserving of attention and choosing a winner was exceptionally difficult. In the midst of war, with daily shelling, casualties, energy shortages, and scarce human and material resources, continuing to publish books, open bookstores, and initiate literary projects stands as a powerful act of resistance, moving us closer to victory and lasting peace,” Hryhorii Baran, Director of the “Social Capital” Program at the International Renaissance Foundation, said.
The awards and their winners are:
BOOK PUBLISHING MARKET TRENDSETTER 2025
Sense Bookstore
Sense Bookstore was named the book publishing market trendsetter “for creating an open book space for dialogue and cultural diplomacy, bringing together readers and cultural figures in Ukraine and globally, as well as for creatively promoting reading as a social practice.”
“This year, during the war, Sense Bookstore opened a new bookstore, held numerous events, and made tremendous efforts to promote Ukrainian literature in Ukraine among Ukrainian readers. It is truly impressive. Thank you for your efforts. In these difficult times, culture and literature help us endure and come together for a brighter future,” said Svetlozar Zhelev (Bulgaria), Director of the National Book Center at the National Palace of Culture, member of the TRADUKI network program committee. “I am sure that Ukraine and the Ukrainian people will win this war. Thank you for protecting us in Bulgaria and throughout Europe from Russia.”
UKRAINIAN BOOK AMBASSADOR 2025
Yuliya Kozlovets
Yuliya Kozlovets won “for establishing lasting institutional ties between Ukraine and foreign partners, attracting international support for Ukraine’s book industry, and launching impactful formats to promote Ukrainian culture.
“Kozlovets’s influence reaches far beyond individual projects. Thanks to her strategic leadership, the International Book Arsenal Festival has become a key professional platform for cooperation between publishers, translators, authors, and cultural institutions. She has set a new standard for professional collaboration and helped establish Ukrainian books in the world as symbols of contemporary culture, intellectual resilience, and freedom. The programs and partnerships created by Kozlovets are already shaping a new generation of specialists and ambassadors of Ukrainian literature. Her work ensures that the Ukrainian voice remains strong and present on the world stage,” Fiona Greenland (USA), Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Virginia, researcher of cultural heritage and the Ukrainian literary process, said.
BOOK INITIATIVE THAT PROMOTES READING 2025
The Book to the Front
The Book to the Front initiative by the Cultural Forces NGO was awarded “for systematic work on the development of reading as a tool for growth and psychological support for the military, complementing cultural rehabilitation programs for veterans, and promoting understanding in society.”
“This year, the award goes to the Book to the Front initiative by the Cultural Forces NGO, which I supported. Thanks to this project, thousands, tens of thousands, of books are reaching Ukrainian defenders, whether at service, in hospitals, or in rehabilitation centers. It is a moving story about the connection between the home front and the battlefield, about supporting our defenders, and about preserving the continuity of thought and memory. My congratulations to the Books to the Front, and thank you for your service,” said Sasha Dovzhyk, Head of INDEX: Institute for Documentation and Exchange, writer, editor, project curator, and cultural researcher.
The Osnovy Publishing House received a special award from the Frankfurt Book Fair. The publishing house team will receive a free stand at this year’s fair, which will take place between Oct. 7-11, 2026.
“This project is the embodiment of cultural, creative, and economic sustainability. It demonstrates how responsibility and innovation can go hand in hand. Thanks to the efforts of Osnovy Publishing House, the market is receiving high-quality literature that is thoughtful, relevant, and expertly crafted. Osnovy proves that excellence in book publishing still matters and has a future. We are very much looking forward to supporting Osnovy Publishing House by providing a free exhibition stand at this year’s Frankfurter Buchmesse and welcoming them to Frankfurt. With this award, we want to recognize the courage with which the publishing house reinterprets tradition, transforming it into something alive and forward-looking,” Vlatka Kupska (Germany-Czechia), Senior Manager at the Frankfurt Book Fair for Central and Eastern European markets, said.
The winners were selected by a jury of seven people, including Ukrainian and foreign experts in the field of publishing and literature, as well as representatives of Ukrainian and international institutions.
“What impressed me most was the professionalism that became the norm even during the war. Many of the nominees did not just hold on. They continued to systematically build processes, plan, and invest effort in editorial quality and long-term projects. The Ukrainian book community is now driven not by fear or romanticism, but by a sense of responsibility for the cultural space,” said Anton Martynov, Founder of the Laboratory Publishing House and the Librarius.pro reading app.
The main partner of the 2025 Award is the International Renaissance Foundation. The Chytomo Award is also held in cooperation with the Frankfurt Book Fair. The cash prize for the winners will amount to UAH 150,000 (USD 3,500) in each category.
The evening was hosted by theater and film actor Dmytro Oliinyk. 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 who died on April 25, 2024, as a result of Russian missile fire on the front line. Before the war, Alla worked as a journalist for a number of publications, including Chytomo.
The organizational partners of the event were the Bessarabian winery Villa Tinta and Askania-Flora, the largest rose producer in Ukraine and one of the leading producers in Europe, which is part of the Askania Group of Companies.
A total of 82 applications were submitted for the 2025 Chytomo Award. The history of the award, as well as shortlists and winners from previous years, can be found on our website.
Source: Chytomo
