Cardiff’s new Ukrainian library provides refugees in Wales with a place to experience the culture of their homeland.
Ukrainians in Cardiff gathered together to celebrate the opening of their first Ukrainian library in Wales on last Saturday.
Aid organization Cardiff for Ukraine opened this library with 700 new Ukrainian books. Mark Drakeford, the former First Minister of Wales and leader of the Welsh Labour, attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony and delivered a welcoming speech.
“It’s another really important milestone in the path of welcoming Ukraine to Wales,” said Mark Drakeford. “When you see people from another part of the world come together to celebrate their own culture, it’s an experience that has a powerful echo in Wales.”
In this speech, he reviewed the progress made in welcoming Ukrainian refugees in. The current plight of Ukraine and the support efforts of the Welsh Government were emphasized. He also used the experience of preserving the Welsh language as a cultural heritage to encourage Ukrainians to preserve their own culture.
Then Ukrainians living in Cardiff gathered to deliver memorial speeches to several Ukrainian writers who tragically lost their lives in the Russian-Ukrainian war. They showcased Ukrainian culture with a series of performances, including traditional songs and poetry readings.
For Olena Koliubaieva, head of the book collection from Ukraine, libraries represent much more than literature. “It will help Ukrainians to integrate into Welsh culture, because when we try to assimilate to the welcome society, we erase part of our identity. It’s a long-term cultural legacy that will make us feel less alone,” she said.
She introduced that the 700 books included children’s literature, modern and classical Ukrainian literature and world literature. Most of the books are in Ukrainian and a few Welsh language books have been translated into Ukrainian to promote cultural integration. This is just the beginning and more Ukrainian books will be coming to Wales.
The Russian-Ukrainian war has now lasted over 1,000 days. The war continues to escalate as Russian forces intensify their attacks on eastern Ukraine. Currently, Ukraine’s energy and infrastructure are still threatened by airstrikes, and countless civilians are suffering.
As the founder of Cardiff for Ukraine, Helen McAdie’s motivation for creating the organization was to help Ukrainian refugees in Wales. And she believes that the establishment of this library has great significance: “The Russians are burning Ukrainian books. They want to destroy Ukrainian language, the culture and bury that. This is an important statement of resistance to provide that link in Wales as well to their homelands.”