«Book Square» in Terebovlia: Practical Experience and New Perspectives for the «Literary and Artistic Management» Academic Program

On August 16, 2026, Professor Olha Harlan, Head of the Department of Ukrainian and Foreign Literature and Comparative Literature, Associate Professor Hanna Aleksandrova, and Mariia Fihol, a student of the “Literary and Artistic Management” educational and scientific program, attended the traditional book exchange event “Book Square” (Knyshkova Ploshcha) in Terebovlia.

This year’s scale of the event was truly impressive, as it took place simultaneously across ten locations in Ukraine—including Lviv, Ternopil, Zhytomyr, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Bila Tserkva, Khmelnytskyi, and the Yarmolyntsi community—as well as abroad in Tokyo.

The essence and core value of “Book Square” lie in providing residents and visitors with a wonderful opportunity to bring their read books and exchange them for new ones. This approach gives literature a second life, creates a continuous cycle of stories, and ensures that books continue to spark the joy of discovery for new readers rather than gathering dust on home shelves.

Heartfelt gratitude goes to the initiators and curators of the Terebovlia location—the staff and Director of the Library, Nataliia Halytska—for the warm atmosphere and exceptionally high level of organization, which served as a true standard of professional dedication.

For BSPU (Berdyansk State Pedagogical University), this event provided invaluable practical experience, offering direct insights into the nuances of project management and modern best practices for organizing public cultural events. Participation in such initiatives vividly demonstrates how rapidly and effectively the “Literary and Artistic Management” academic program is evolving at our university, as its students and faculty actively integrate into real-world national cultural processes. BSPU faculty and students continuously study and adopt experiences from landmark initiatives such as the International Book Arsenal Festival in Kyiv, various book festivals in Ternopil, and other notable cultural events. The significance of the “Literary and Artistic Management” program can hardly be overestimated: it yields deep theoretical knowledge while shaping a new generation of successful art managers capable of generating large-scale literary and artistic projects, building strong partnerships, and promoting Ukrainian culture at the highest level.

Hanna Aleksandrova, Associate Professor,
Department of Ukrainian and Foreign Literature and Comparative Literature