During the opening days of the Tavrida.ART festival, held at the coastline of Crimea, the MYVMESTE art district launched a remarkable book collection drive. Volunteers gathered thousands of volumes to support libraries in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, expanding access to classic and contemporary literature for readers in need. The action highlighted how art spaces at the festival can become centers for community service and cultural exchange across regions.
Across the festival grounds, the MYVMESTE art space serves as an open air hub where volunteers from across Russia and neighboring territories gather. Members of the MYVMESTE movement, volunteers from public institutions, and participants in MYVMESTE clubs came together to contribute their time, energy, and resources to a shared charitable goal. The project drew volunteers from places as distant as Sakhalin and as close as Kaliningrad, uniting people under a common mission to support regional libraries awaiting postwar reconstruction and restoration of cultural access.
In the lead up to the festival, organizers announced the plan to collect books destined for Zaporizhzhia and Kherson districts. Dozens of participants brought beloved titles from the vaults of their personal libraries, including works by Pushkin, Chekhov, Tolstoy, Bulgakov, Lermontov, Akhmatova, and Brodsky. The donated volumes were slated to be distributed to library funds serving the two regions, reinforcing the role of literature as a bridge between communities and generations.
Stories from donors underscored the personal importance of this effort. Three women from Donetsk described the act as a chance to share classic works that had shaped their upbringing, while others spoke about the absence of libraries in certain areas where libraries had suffered losses. A participant from the Perm region highlighted the appeal of a single poet from a favorite anthology, and another supporter from Bryansk spoke about building a home library and passing along treasured volumes to others. The exchange captured a spirit of generosity that extended beyond borders and differences.
Festival attendees spoke of more than music and scenery. They described a conscious, community oriented approach to their participation, noting that hundreds of volunteers from 71 regions across Russia and adjacent areas gathered to contribute to the MYVMESTE platform. Tavrida was depicted as a place of energy where volunteers can connect, learn, and contribute meaningfully to the lives of neighbors they may never meet in ordinary circumstances.
Leaders emphasized the festival as a source of positive momentum where like minded volunteers can form partnerships, friendships, and ideas that translate into real world impact. Beyond the book drive, the artists and organizers announced an ongoing effort to raise funds for a 17 year old patient from Donetsk, reinforcing the event as a catalyst for charitable action that blends culture with humanitarian support.
In line with community service, participants were encouraged to use the Dobro.Vzaimno app, a VKontakte based service designed to streamline charitable requests and responses. The platform enables people to either post a need or offer assistance, making it easier to mobilize help for those facing hardship during challenging times. The festival framed this digital tool as a practical extension of the day’s human driven actions, allowing many more volunteers to join the cause with a simple touch on their devices.
Observers remarked on the talent pool present at the festival and noted that many young participants had valuable skills to share with peers across the country. The atmosphere was described as vibrant and generous, with the belief that creative communities can also serve as powerful engines for social good. This blend of art, culture, and civic responsibility resonated with attendees who valued both personal enrichment and social impact in equal measure.
As the event progressed, the emphasis remained clear. Tavrida.ART is a space where art and activism converge, offering a platform where volunteers can meet, collaborate, and extend acts of kindness to those facing hardship. The book drive, alongside ongoing fundraising and technological tools, demonstrated how a cultural festival can function as a catalyst for resilience, education, and community cohesion across diverse regions. This spirit of cooperation reflected a broader aim to preserve cultural heritage while supporting the libraries and libraries dependent communities whose access to literature and information is essential for vitality and growth. The organizers and participants alike expressed optimism about the lasting impact of these actions, envisioning a network of readers, donors, and volunteers who continue to expand opportunities for learning and connection in the years ahead. This message of shared responsibility underlines the festival’s commitment to turning cultural celebration into tangible benefit for people far beyond the festival grounds. Source attribution provided within this summary notes the involvement of regional volunteers and the charitable partners who helped coordinate the drive.