--- title: "“Kharkiv Is a City with Character”: Serhiy Zhadan Names His Favorite Spot in the City and a Top-3 Book List After the Second Literary Fair" description: "At the second Literary Fair in Kharkiv (August 28–30, 2026), Serhiy Zhadan named his favorite spot in the city, recommended three book projects, and called on readers to support the “A-BA-BA-GA-LA-MA-GA” publishing house after a strike on its warehouses." date: 2026-08-31T09:46:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/serhiy-zhadan-literary-fair-kharkiv-favorite-spot-books tags: [sergey-zhadan, kharkiv, literary-fair, ukrainian-books, smoloskyp, a-ba-ba-ga-la-ma-ga, kurgan-agregat, ukrainian-literature] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # “Kharkiv Is a City with Character”: Serhiy Zhadan Names His Favorite Spot in the City and a Top-3 Book List After the Second Literary Fair ![Serhiy Zhadan in a white shirt with embroidered Ukrainian motifs at the Literary Fair](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/31/sergiy-zhadan-liternaya-yarmarka-harkiv-knigi-mesto/sergiy-zhadan-liternaya-yarmarka-harkiv-knigi-mesto-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - The second Literary Fair took place in Kharkiv on August 28–30, 2026, with the participation of the Serhiy Zhadan Charitable Foundation - Zhadan recommended the collected works of Vasyl Stus, the books of Oleksandr Savchuk, and the anthology “Ukrainian Chivalric Poetry” - The writer called on readers to support “A-BA-BA-GA-LA-MA-GA,” whose warehouses were destroyed in a shelling - Zhadan named “McDonald’s” as his favorite spot in Kharkiv and “Kurgan & Agregat” as his favorite band Over the weekend of August 28–30, 2026, the second “Literary Fair” was held in Kharkiv — a large-scale book festival that brought together dozens of publishers, renowned writers and musicians, as well as thousands of visitors. Among the organizers was the Serhiy Zhadan Charitable Foundation; Zhadan himself was on site for all three days, interacting with guests, moderating events, and closing the festival with a performance by the band “Zhadan and the Dogs.” In a situation where the city continues to suffer enormous losses from Russian shelling, events like these become not merely cultural entertainment but an act of resistance and a restoration of everyday life. ### Books Zhadan Considers Strategically Important In a blitz conducted by the lifestyle project Wave (RBC-Ukraine), Zhadan declined to name a single favorite author, explaining that “it would not be entirely fair, I’m afraid I might forget someone.” However, he highlighted three directions he considers especially significant. First, the first volume of Vasyl Stus’s collected works, published by “Smoloskyp” — the writer called this “a matter of direct strategic importance,” since it marks the beginning of the complete collected works of one of the key dissidents of Ukrainian literature. Second, Zhadan traditionally praises the books of Kharkiv native Oleksandr Savchuk, noting the high quality and interest of each publication. Third, he spoke enthusiastically about the anthology “Ukrainian Chivalric Poetry,” published by “A-BA-BA-GA-LA-MA-GA” and lovingly compiled by Ivan Malkovych. ### Call to Support “A-BA-BA-GA-LA-MA-GA” After a Strike on Its Warehouses Separately, Zhadan emphasized that a shell recently hit the warehouses of the “A-BA-BA-GA-LA-MA-GA” publishing house, destroying a large number of books. The writer publicly called on readers to support the publisher by buying its publications. This call resonates against a broader backdrop: the second Literary Fair became not only a sales venue but also a de facto fundraiser for restoring the city’s book infrastructure. ### Favorite Spot in Kharkiv and Musical Preferences When asked about his favorite place in the city, Zhadan answered with his characteristic irony: “McDonald’s.” At the same time, he stressed that, as a Kharkiv native, he holds the legendary “Buffet” in high regard, but he became a fan of “McDonald’s” even before the “Buffet” opened in the city. In the musical part of the blitz, the writer named “Kurgan & Agregat” as his favorite band, which, by the way, performed at the fair’s opening — Zhadan thanked the group for agreeing to come. ### Dream of a Festival for Tens of Thousands and Kharkiv’s Character Talking about future plans, Zhadan confessed that he dreams of holding the next festival outdoors, with more equipment and an audience of tens of thousands, but he added that this is “a matter of security.” He also noted that invited authors and guests “usually no one refuses us,” and he linked this not to the organizers’ ambitions but to respect for the Kharkiv people, “who live in this place, work, serve, fight, and defend the city and the country.” Concluding the conversation, the writer described Kharkiv as “a strong city, a city with character, a city with a sense of irony, a city with a strategic vision of its own future,” adding that war “breaks” and “turns inside out,” but people remain strong. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [What Does Serhiy Zhadan Read and Whom Does He Listen To? A Blitz with the Writer and Musician](https://wave.rbc.ua/ukr/insider/shcho-chitae-ta-kogo-sluhae-sergiy-zhadan-1788169261.html) - Первичный источник: полный текст блица с Жаданом, все цитаты, рекомендации книг, упоминание McDonald's, Курган & Агрегат, планы на следующий фестиваль. - [“Kharkiv Reads, Not Just the Cursed Pool in the Center”: the Literary Fair Opens](https://www.objectiv.tv/objectively/2026/08/29/harkov-chitaet-a-ne-tolko-proklyatyj-bassejn-v-tsentre-otkrylas-lityarmarka/) - Подтверждает факт проведения Литературной ярмарки в Харькове в конце августа 2026 года. - [In Kharkiv, the Literary Fair almanac Was Published, Which Had Not Been Released for Almost 100 ...](https://nv.ua/books/literaturnaya-yarmarka-v-harkove-almanah-obedinil-proizvedeniya-48-avtorov-50635712.html) - Дополнительный контекст об альманахе, связанном с фестивалем, и его исторической преемственности. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: When and where was the second Literary Fair held in Kharkiv? **A:** The second Literary Fair took place on August 28–30, 2026, in Kharkiv. Among the organizers was the Serhiy Zhadan Charitable Foundation. ### Q: Which books did Serhiy Zhadan recommend in the blitz? **A:** Zhadan highlighted the first volume of Vasyl Stus’s collected works (published by “Smoloskyp”), the books of Oleksandr Savchuk, and the anthology “Ukrainian Chivalric Poetry” from “A-BA-BA-GA-LA-MA-GA” in Ivan Malkovych’s selection. ### Q: Which place in Kharkiv did Zhadan call his favorite? **A:** Serhiy Zhadan answered with irony that his favorite spot in Kharkiv is “McDonald’s,” although, as a Kharkiv native, he holds the “Buffet” in high regard. ### Q: Why did Zhadan call on readers to support “A-BA-BA-GA-LA-MA-GA”? **A:** According to the writer, a shell recently hit the publisher’s warehouses and a large number of books were destroyed. He called on readers to support “A-BA-BA-GA-LA-MA-GA” by buying its publications.