What began as a small project to support Ukrainian children with visual impairments has grown into an international cultural mission—and, since 2022, into a vital emotional bridge between Ukraine and its children forced to flee abroad.

The initiative was founded in 2015, at a time when many Ukrainian children were still listening to audiobooks in Russian produced during the Soviet era. “It was painful to realize that there was almost nothing available in Ukrainian,” recalls Olena Oliinyk, one of the project’s founders.

The response exceeded all expectations. More than a thousand volunteers from across Ukraine and around the world joined the effort. “We were amazed that so many people—not only from Kyiv, but from all over Ukraine and even from abroad—started writing to us. They offered their time, their voices, came to studios, and helped record books.”

Over the past ten years, more than 250 audiobooks have been produced and published, including classical literature, contemporary works, and even Shakespeare’s plays. Well-known Ukrainian public figures and artists have contributed their voices, among them Serhii Prytula, Olena Kravets, Valerii Kharchyshyn, Olha Sumska, and many others.

After the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the project took on a new and urgent role. As millions of Ukrainians were forced to leave their homes, children became one of the most vulnerable groups. According to various estimates, between 700,000 and two million Ukrainian children have left the country since 2022.

“These children were torn out of their environment. They lost their friends, their familiar lives. They hear a different language, see a different culture, study different books,” says Oliinyk. “Our audiobooks give them a mental connection to Ukraine, moral support, and contact with their native culture. It’s frightening when people completely assimilate and lose their connection to their homeland. We really want to prevent that.”

The project has also gained international attention. First Lady Olena Zelenska joined the initiative by recording two Japanese folk tales included in the world literature curriculum. The importance of cultural and international diplomacy has been repeatedly emphasized by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as well, including in his address to the Japanese people and parliament.

Preserving Ukrainian identity and a sense of unity has become a complex and demanding task—but also a crucial one. Since the beginning of the full-scale war, Ukrainians have surfed on a powerful wave of cultural revival and renewed interest in the Ukrainian language and heritage.

For many families living abroad, this audiobook project has become a lifeline. “I have a friend who now lives in the United States with her two sons,” Oliinyk says. “She once told me that they had listened to all the books together, turning them on for the children before bedtime.”

Today, the future of the project depends largely on funding. The organizers also plan to shift their focus toward children who have lost their parents in the war. “People need to know that this resource exists,” Oliinyk says. “And that it’s here for those who need it most.”