Reading the map of Ukraine: what, how and why Ukrainians choose. Results of a study by second-level higher education students majoring in Literary and Art Management at BSPU

On 25 November 2025, as part of the educational process at Berdiansk State Pedagogical University, a webinar entitled ‘What Ukrainians Read’ was held, organised by teachers and students of the academic and scientific programme ‘Literary and Art Management’. First-year master’s students Maria Figol and Victoria Mulchenko presented the initial results of their research project on contemporary reading practices in Ukraine, including the dynamics of literary preferences and the factors that shape readers’ interests in pre-war times and today.

In their reports, the students highlighted statistical data collected during surveys of respondents of different age groups. In particular, the study revealed that more than half of the Ukrainians surveyed (55%) read every week, with the most popular genres being science fiction (35%), non-fiction (25%), and psychological fiction (20%). It was also noted that e-books (45%) have become as popular as printed books (45%), and recommendations from friends and book bloggers (40%) remain the key factor influencing choice.

The students analysed the most popular genres, the influence of social networks on book selection, and the role of media, cultural events, and digital platforms in promoting reading. Significant attention was paid to how today’s cultural challenges are changing audience demands and stimulating the development of new formats of literary communication.

An essential component of the research was the integration of knowledge from disciplines taught within the educational and scientific programme. In particular, the students demonstrated how they applied the skills they acquired in the courses ‘Modern Foreign Literature’ (lecturer – Associate Professor Hanna Tabakova) and ‘Digital Storytelling and Multimedia Art’ (lecturer – Associate Professor Roman Kostromytskyi) in their work.

The use of digital visualisation methods, multimedia structuring of materials, creation of interactive infographics and adaptation of content for online communication made their research not only analytical, but also modern in terms of presentation format.

The students’ presentation demonstrated how the management, philology, and digital communication competencies embedded in the Literary and Art Management programme enable the combination of academic science with practical cultural activities. During the discussion, webinar participants emphasised the relevance of the research topic, the importance of working with the audience and the growing role of cultural managers in shaping reading trends.

The Literary and Art Management programme at BSPU is an innovative interdisciplinary educational and scientific programme of the second level of higher education, combining management, philology, cultural studies and media communication. Students learn to manage cultural projects, conduct philological research, develop and implement artistic initiatives, analyse literary processes, create multimedia products and ensure effective communication between culture and society.

Graduates of the programme can pursue careers in publishing, art management, media, educational and cultural institutions, production centres, creative industry projects, communications, scientific research and grant activities. Such a broad professional trajectory makes the field promising both for the modern labour market and for the development of Ukrainian culture as a whole.

Similar events demonstrate that students in this speciality are capable of conducting independent research, presenting it to the professional community, and skilfully using multimedia tools, shaping cultural discourse from their first year of study. This confirms the high quality of the educational and scientific programme and the importance of training a new generation of literary and artistic managers.

Associate Professor of the Department of Ukrainian Language and Journalism, Roman Kostromytskyi