Cultural diplomacy in Brazil: books about Ukraine at the IDP

This has been reported by the Ukrainian Embassy in Brazil.

The scale of the event and support

The opening ceremony was attended by Oleg Vlasenko, Chargé d’Affaires of Ukraine in Brazil, and the university’s leadership. A significant highlight of the event was the participation of Gilmar Mendes, a judge of the Federal Supreme Court and Honorary President of IDP.

The choice of this particular institution is strategic: IDP is shaping a new generation of Brazilian managers, lawyers and civil servants. From now on, they will have direct access to primary sources on the history and present-day situation of Ukraine.

What has been added to the collection?

The institute’s library has been enriched with important publications translated into Portuguese. Among the key works are:

• ‘Chernobyl During the War: The Struggle of Ukrainians to Avoid a New Catastrophe’ by Serhii Plokhy — one of the most topical new releases published in Brazil in 2026.

• “War Diary” by Andriy Kurkov — a publication that has gained recognition in Brazil and was shortlisted for the best books according to Folha de S. Paulo.

• “Poems from the Trenches” by Maksym Kryvtsov and the novel “Where the Wind Blows” by Lyubko Deresh are the winners of the Translate Ukraine programme.

Cultural diplomacy during wartime

In the Brazilian context, this project helps to enhance Ukraine’s agency and combat archaic ideologies. The donated books, including Orest Subtelny’s classic work, will serve as a tool for a deeper understanding of the Ukrainian struggle and state-building.

The project was implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Ministry of Culture and the Ukrainian Book Institute under the patronage of the First Lady.

As a reminder, the ‘Ukrainian Bookshelf’ is a flagship initiative of Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska, aimed at promoting Ukrainian publications in the world’s leading libraries. The project is being implemented under the patronage of the President’s wife, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications, and the Ukrainian Book Institute.

Key facts about the initiative:

• Geography: as of 2026, Ukrainian shelves have already been opened in 47 countries worldwide (notably, Brazil, Indonesia, Armenia, Hungary and Sweden have recently joined the project).

• Scale: over 190 shelves have been opened as part of the project, housing more than 45,000 publications.

• Objective: to strengthen Ukrainian identity through culture and to counter Russian aggression, which is also directed against Ukrainian libraries.

• International recognition: the publications featured in the project have received prestigious awards. In particular, the ‘Accessibility Guide’ won an award at the Best Baltic Book Design competition.

Donor support for the project is provided, among others, by the Kyiv School of Economics Charitable Foundation, which has ensured the transfer of thousands of books to Ukrainian embassies for further distribution.

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