Ukrainian population in Valencia grows by 262 percent since 2022

Valery and Valeria, Ukrainian refugees, opened Booklya, a cafe and bookstore in Valencia, Spain, to preserve their national culture.

The business features more than 5,000 books in the Ukrainian language, including works by native authors and translations of international titles. The owners moved the business from Castellón to Valencia to serve a larger community of Ukrainian residents. The city of Valencia has seen a massive influx of people from Ukraine since the Russian invasion in 2022.

Local population data from late September shows that Ukrainians now represent the third largest nationality in the city, with 12,509 residents. This population has grown by 262 percent since the start of the war, surpassing the number of Venezuelan residents in the city. The owners of Booklya transport their inventory from Poland to Valencia by road. They chose to open the space because Russia destroyed 70 percent of Ukraine's books this year, making the preservation of their literature a priority.

The cafe serves as a meeting point for the local Ukrainian community to share resources and navigate administrative tasks like finding housing. While younger Ukrainians integrate into Spanish life relatively easily, some older community members struggle to adapt. Valeria notes that some people who fled have returned to Ukraine because they found the transition to a new country difficult. In contrast, the children of refugees are adapting well and many do not plan to return to Ukraine.