The Carpathian village of Verkhniy Yaseniv in the western Ukrainian Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast now offers book and coffee lovers a new second home: a bookstore-café called “Kotsyubynsky”.
The opening took place on August 16 during the literary festival “Writers’ Bonfire on Cheremosh” in 2024. The owners chose the name because the village provided so much inspiration for the Ukrainian classic writer. Mykhailo Kotsjubynski. Writer Anna Pavlichenko, who founded Kotsyubynsky together with her husband Vasyl Tomyshynets (Hutsul), came to the area six months ago and decided to stay. Pavlichenko said she is an active person and needs “more than just writing.”
“I wanted to create a place for soldiers and their families to recover from war,” she said.
Pavlichenko believes in the therapeutic effect of writing and has helped comrades publish books. The original idea was to create a place for recreation, but finding the right place was a challenge. Pavlichenko received a state grant from “Diia” to start a business and decided with her husband to build the bookstore on the land they had bought.
The Carpathian Mountains have always offered a peaceful, safe environment and attracted Ukrainian writers such as Ivan Franko, Lesya Ukrainka and Kotsyubynsky. The bookshop-café was built as an art space and will host festivals, cultural events, exhibitions, presentations, performances, lectures and master classes. The space is available to anyone who would like to give a voluntary donation.
The bookstore has a reading room, a terrace and access to the Black Cheremosh River. In addition to books, coffee, drinks and desserts are also available. A “living” museum, founded by Vasyl Tomyshnynets, will present a private collection and host performances. The opening is planned for September 2024, coinciding with Mykhailo Kotsiubynsky’s 160th birthday.
Currently, the bookstore offers books from Lira-K and other publishers such as The Old Lion Publishing and Folio, including modern and classic literature, bestsellers and children’s books. The bookstore-café plans to organize cultural retreats for veterans, soldiers and their families, offer them courses on creativity and showcase their works.
Editing: Ben Angel
