Cultural spaces close: Bookstores cease operations in Ukrainian cities

Two bookstore cafés — Mriynyky (Dreamers) in Vinnytsia and Fine Book Coffee in Kropyvnytskyi — shared news of their closures on social media.

Mriynyky welcomed visitors for the last time on March 10, while Fine Book Coffee is open until March 31.

“We are truly grateful for your warmth, support, and the moments you’ve shared with us,” a representative of Mriynyky wrote.

The owners noted that they are considering continuing their operations in a new format or at a different location.

Until the end of March, Fine Book Coffee is offering a 30% discount on books and accessories.

“If you want to come by and enjoy a coffee, pick up a book, or just enjoy our atmosphere, now is the perfect time.”

In March, Yakaboo shut down its only offline bookstore on Khreshchatyk Street in Kyiv, which had been operating since 2019. The reasons for the closure were not revealed, with the team only stating that their ambitions required a broader scale. A final sale was conducted prior to the store’s closure.

That same month, Artbooks Publishing closed its bookstore in the capital. The publishing house remains in operation, and the book club is moving to a new location.

After a heating system malfunction and flooding of the premises in February, My Bookshelf bookstore near the Teatralna metro station has not reopened. Attempts to reach an agreement with the landlord to defer rent payments during the repairs were unsuccessful.

In early 2026, the Zbirka bookstore at the PinchukArtCentre closed its doors. Nataliia Kuzmenko, the founder, listed inexperience, flawed business strategy, poor pre-launch evaluation, and a shortage of relaunch capital as reasons. However, the main Zbirka location on Reitarska Street remains open.

At the end of 2025, the Noty bookstore on Shevchenko Avenue in Lviv closed, as did the Nisha bookstore café in Dnipro. In December 2025, the Musa bookstore in Kyiv ceased operations.

In total, at least eight bookstores closed between 2024 and 2025.

RELATED: Bookstore sales increased by 19%: Summary of Independent Bookstores Week

Main image: Chytomo collage

Copyediting: Joy Tataryn