On April 23, the day when the whole world celebrates Book Day, Ukrainians have a great opportunity to think about its role in modern life. In an age where information is instantly available on the screen and social media defines the format of our content consumption, a book, especially in paper form, can seem like a thing of the past. However, in reality, it continues to be an important element of the cultural landscape, capable of helping to understand and make sense of the surrounding world. Although most books these days can be read from a screen, nothing can replace the feel of the pages under your fingers and the light smell of paper that preserves the calm silence and its philosophy of reading it. Let’s try to figure out whether the book has a place in the life of a modern Ukrainian, and how it helps us preserve our identity and navigate the information flow.
From papyri to a global symbol of culture
Recognition of the importance of the book as a cultural phenomenon and its significance for each nation does not require additional evidence. It is not only a means of knowledge transfer, but the foundation of identity that unites generations, preserves memory and promotes development. World Book Day, established by UNESCO in 1995, aims to celebrate literature and also emphasizes the protection of copyright, which allows writers to receive due recognition and compensation for their work.
It is on April 23 that we commemorate the death anniversaries of such great writers as William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. The choice of this date to celebrate the book reflects the deep cultural significance that the book has as a carrier of knowledge and wisdom, capable of uniting different eras and cultures. The origin of this holiday was inspired by the Spanish tradition, where on St. George’s Day, which falls on April 23, men give women flowers, in particular roses. In the 1920s, a Catalan bookseller combined this custom with literary heritage, offering to replace the rose with a book. The idea quickly gained popularity, and later gained international scope thanks to the initiative of UNESCO.
Today, the World Book and Copyright Day is a celebration of literature, an important opportunity to pay attention to the issue of copyright protection, which provides creators with due recognition of their intellectual product. According to Google estimates, there are about 130 million books in the world, and this number only increases every year. Despite such a huge volume of literature, there are still significant problems with copyright, piracy and intellectual property protection in the market.
The book has traveled a long historical path. At first, people who needed to express their thoughts and preserve them for posterity wrote as they could and on what they could. Some progress in the book business took place in ancient Egypt, where papyrus scrolls appeared. It already looked like something lighter and more mobile. And somewhere in the 2nd century BC, people discovered parchment. It was made from animal skin, was stronger than papyrus and held up well over time. By the way, the name “parchment” comes from the city of Pergamum, where the ruler was so fond of books that he founded a library with hundreds of thousands of scrolls.
But the Romans invented something very similar to the modern book. They began to sew individual sheets of papyrus or parchment together and insert them into wooden covers. Such books were called codices. They were more convenient to use, easier to carry with you, so the codes quickly caught on, especially among itinerant Christian missionaries. By the 6th century, scrolls had almost disappeared from use.
While in Europe books were still copied by hand, in China they had long been printed. The Chinese created their own system: wooden frames, clay forms with hieroglyphs. At first they printed on silk, later they switched to paper. One of the first known examples of a printed book is the Diamond Sutra (868), which has survived to this day. The Japanese and Koreans picked up this idea, and the latter even improved the process, replacing fragile clay elements with bronze ones.
Meanwhile, in Europe, medieval books remained an elite luxury. They were written by hand by monks, and they cost, to put it mildly, not cheap. Printed pictures and playing cards, which appeared in the 15th century, began to change the situation. But the real breakthrough happened in 1450, when Johann Gutenberg created a printing press and introduced metal movable letters. This made it possible to print hundreds of copies per hour. The first printed book was the Bible, and from that moment everything went faster. By the end of the 15th century, there were printing presses in almost all European countries. Books became more accessible, people began to learn to read more actively, and not only religious texts, but also works of art appeared on the bookshelves. The first printed bestsellers were Dante’s Divine Comedy and Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales.
Before the advent of mass book printing, copyright as a separate legal category practically did not exist. Writers rarely received monetary compensation for their work, because books were distributed in limited quantities and were mostly copied by hand. But with the development of printing, the situation changed. Large print runs brought real profit to publishers, and therefore, it made sense to share a part of the income with authors as well. The first serious steps towards a modern copyright system were made in Great Britain.
In 1710, the so-called Statute of Queen Anne was adopted there. This was the first law that granted the writer the exclusive right to his work for a period of 14 years. If someone violated these rights, then serious fines awaited him. Already in 1774, the British court abolished indefinite publishing monopolies, and this gave rise to the idea that over time any work should become the property of society.
In the Russian Empire, the first mentions of legal protection of authors appeared only in 1828, when the rights of writers were defined. Later, other creative professions, such as artists, architects, composers, received legal recognition. Within the borders of Austria-Hungary, which included the western Ukrainian lands, in 1837 a law was passed that protected copyright and prohibited the printing of other people’s works without the owner’s permission.
In Soviet times, the population was officially considered “the most read in the world”, and this was not just a propaganda cliché. Indeed, the culture of reading was extremely widespread, especially in urban families. Books were not just bought, they were hunted for. Lines in bookstores, subscriptions to multi-volume books, interest in translated and “scarce” literature were part of everyday life. Many editions appeared in hundreds of thousands of copies and still disappeared from the shelves in an instant.
A special feature was that the book acted as a source of knowledge or entertainment, as well as an object of cultural prestige. Home libraries were formed over the years, books were considered a symbol of intellectual status. In periods of special shortage of popular publications, books were even accessed through the exchange system: waste paper was brought to the reception point, and “vouchers” were received for the purchase of rare literature.
After the collapse of the USSR, in the stormy 90s, despite the economic difficulties, the culture of reading did not disappear. On the contrary, with the opening of access to previously forbidden topics and Western literature, a new book surge arose. People wanted to catch up on what had been out of reach for decades. Actively developed independent publishing houses, book markets, translated prose and essay writing. There were also new Ukrainian authors who formed the national intellectual space without ideological pressure. Even in the most difficult years, reading remained a way not only to escape from reality, but also to preserve cultural meaningfulness.
For some modern Ukrainians, especially in conditions of informational and cultural instability, the book remains an important tool not only for education or entertainment, but also for self-determination and preservation of national identity.
Reader reality of Ukrainians in numbers
In 2024, Ukrainians significantly increased their attention to their native language in literature. By data According to the Info Sapiens study commissioned by the Ukrainian Book Institute, 76% of books read in Ukraine were in Ukrainian. This is 20% more than in 2023, and may be the result of several factors, among which the legal restriction on the import of books from the Russian Federation, Belarus and temporarily occupied territories played an important role. Such a step not only stimulates the demand for Ukrainian publications, but also contributes to the development of the national book market.
The growth in the consumption of Ukrainian literature is accompanied by an interesting trend in readers’ preferences. More than 40% of respondents prefer Ukrainian classical literature, which indicates a keen interest in traditional authors and masterpieces of Ukrainian literature. At the same time, a significant part of the respondents (about a third) read modern Ukrainian authors, as well as classics and the latest works of foreign writers.
However, despite the positive dynamics in the consumption of Ukrainian literature, in general, the number of people who are actively engaged in reading remains limited. A third of Ukrainian adults do not consider books as a way of leisure at all. Time constraints, physical difficulties and lack of intrinsic interest have become the main reasons why people do not find time to read. Moreover, in the south and east of the country, war and constant stress make it seriously difficult to concentrate on books.
Despite this, 38% of Ukrainians continue to read on a regular basis, at least several times a week, which demonstrates the importance of literature in their lives. And although mostly Ukrainians read for self-improvement and out of love for the reading process, the role of recommendations from friends and acquaintances in choosing new books is no less important. It is this factor that often becomes the main engine of literary preferences. Financially, Ukrainians actively support the book industry. 46% of respondents spend from 500 to 2,000 hryvnias on books in the last three months. People aged 30-39 are the most active buyers, while people aged 40-49 do it less often. Visiting libraries remains less popular. Only 5% of adults visit libraries regularly, highlighting the growing popularity of book buying.
A large number of children also participate in reading, and half of them (52%) read exclusively for pleasure. This is 13% more than in 2023. However, it is important to note that children with active reading parents are more likely to enjoy literature and are ready to share their impressions, which indicates the role of the family in forming the habit of reading. This is how a new generation of readers is formed, for whom the book is not perceived as a burden, but as a source of pleasure and development.
Despite war, inflation and social tension, the Ukrainian book market is showing signs of recovery. In 2024, the share of book buyers increased by ten percentage points. Online sales have consolidated their positions, but physical bookstores remain the main sales channel. Their number has increased to 460, but a fourth of them are concentrated in Kyiv. At that time, a third of the population lived in areas where there were no bookstores at all. Such geographic disparity in access to books exacerbates national imbalances.
The price barrier remains a major obstacle: 33% of respondents indicated that they could not afford to buy books. At the same time, more than half of Ukrainians support the idea of state subsidies for bookstores, and almost 90% consider investments in libraries to be important. This is a clear public request that requires not one-time actions, but a systemic cultural policy.
In general, trends observed in the Ukrainian book environment reflect changes in consumer habits and cultural preferences. Despite the challenges, Ukrainians continue to maintain their cultural traditions and are actively involved in reading in their native language.
If reading is viewed not as a hobby, but as a strategic resource, then investing in it ceases to look like an expense. They become a contribution to the cognitive stability of the population, economic efficiency and cultural independence. Ukraine has not yet realized its full potential in this area, but the very fact that such potential exists is already a reliable basis for development.
The book as a development tool: lessons for Ukraine from the world’s reading leaders
Reading in the modern world ceases to be an exclusively private affair. It manifests itself more and more clearly as a social phenomenon that affects economic dynamics, cultural sustainability and the general quality of life. At first glance, the love of books may seem like a small thing, but on the scale of the state, it turns into a serious indicator of development.
International research, which covered fourteen European countries, including Ukraine, shows a stable direct relationship between the frequency of reading and the level of well-being. Countries with high GDP per capita more often show higher rates of reading activity. The correlation between the two measures is 0.57 according to the Pearson coefficient, indicating a significant relationship. This means not just higher purchasing power, but primarily access to quality cultural infrastructure from libraries and bookstores to effective educational policy.
Scandinavian countries have long proven that the institutionalization of reading brings stable results. In Finland, Sweden or the Netherlands, a book is not considered a luxury or a tool for elitist self-development. In these countries, the book has long become a part of everyday cultural circulation on a par with health insurance or school education. The book has become the norm here, not an achievement.
The French treat books almost like art. On Book Day, Paris organizes literary picnics, antique fairs, and poetry evenings. Here, reading has become a fashionable, prestigious and beautiful form of recreation.
In Japan, the culture of reading is so integrated into daily life that there are more books than phones in subway cars. In Japanese libraries there is complete silence and respect, books are kept like precious stones. On Book Day, bookstores introduce various discounts and exhibitions to encourage even more readers.
There are no holidays in the USA. Here, booksellers offer big discounts, authors read excerpts from their books in coffee shops, libraries often look like hubs with various activities. Americans read not only classics, but also comics, science fiction, and cookbooks. It doesn’t matter what you read, the main thing is to read.
In Ukraine, the situation still remains difficult. With GDP per capita at the level of USD 15,000, the share of adults who have read at least one book per year is only 35%. This is one of the lowest indicators among European countries. The reasons lie not only in income, but also in the absence of a coherent cultural policy, geographical inequality of access to books, an unbalanced educational system and unstable support of the publishing sector. The experience of Italy, where despite a much higher level of economy, the situation with reading also remains uneven, once again confirms that money alone does not create a reading society. The presence of a state strategy that transforms a book from a product into a cultural need becomes decisive.
A silent brain trainer
It is interesting to observe how the functional role of reading is also changing in the global context. The World Economic Forum includes reading on strategies for long-term cognitive resilience. In the conditions of the economy of long life, the book appears not just as a source of information, but as a tool for supporting productivity and mental health. Intellectual activity is as critical as physical health, and reading is the easiest and most affordable way to maintain it.
It is impossible to perceive a book as just an object made of paper and letters, because it is a tool that can imperceptibly but deeply change a person from the inside, teach analysis and critical thinking. The strength of the book lies in small things, which over time turn into tangible advantages: in confidence in conversation, in the ability to clearly formulate thoughts, in the habit of paying attention to details.
At a time when the TV is buzzing in the background and the social media feed is filled with hype, it is the book that can do what other media cannot: enrich the vocabulary to the level where you want to describe even the simplest things accurately. People who read not only write and speak better, but also make fewer spelling mistakes. And this is not because the rules have been memorized, but because the memory fixes the correct spelling automatically, without extra effort.
Also, a book can be a great exerciser for the brain. It teaches you to concentrate, keep the plot, and think logically. Reading has long become the only type of entertainment that not only relaxes, but also keeps the brain in shape. It has long been proven that people who read regularly are much less likely to suffer from cognitive impairment in old age. For the brain, it’s like daily gymnastics, only without headphones and gyms. The process of simple but systematic reading promotes the development of intelligence, provides the desired peace, develops communication skills, memory, literacy and inspiration. The book does not shout about its influence, it works quietly. But the result it leaves is not to be confused with anything. Because it is thanks to books that we not only learn more, but also begin to see ourselves and the world more deeply.
French philosopher Denis Diderot observed: “When people stop reading, they gradually lose the ability to think.” This opinion remains relevant even today, especially if you look at global reading trends. According to international studies, India is recognized as the most reading nation in the world: its citizens spend an average of 10.7 hours per week with a book. It is followed by Thailand (9.4 hours), China (8 hours), the Philippines (7.6 hours) and Egypt (7.5 hours per week). Unfortunately, Ukraine is not in this list.
