The Editor-in-Chief’s foreword to the 16th volume of the Encyclopedia Herald of Ukraine is presented.

The article seeks to outline the activities of linguistic research centers within Polish higher educational institutions, where “Ukrainian Language and Literature” specialists are trained, Ukrainian studies disciplines are taught, and Ukrainian is studied as a foreign language. Based on the achievements of linguists, the most prominent linguistic research centers include the Warsaw center (University of Warsaw), the Wrocław center (University of Wrocław), the Kraków center (Jagiellonian University), the Lublin center (John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin and Maria Curie-Skłodowska University), and the Poznań center (Adam Mickiewicz University). These scientific centers, which advance Ukrainian linguistics, were established through the dedicated efforts of renowned scholars, such as M. Lesiv and F. Chyzhevskyi (Lublin), A. Falowski (Kraków), and D. Wieczorek (Wrocław). Their students and successors continue their legacy, including I. Mytnyk (Warsaw), P. Yuzvikevych (Wrocław), A. Dudek-Shumigai, M. Koider and M. Oliynyk (Lublin). Significant contributions have also been made by Ukrainian linguists currently working in Polish universities, such as I. Kononenko and S. Romaniuk (Warsaw), O. Beley (Wrocław), and L. Frolyak (Lublin), among others, as well as by visiting professors who promote Ukrainian scholarship internationally (e.g., P. Hrytsenko, A. Zahnitko, O. Serbenska, M. Skab). Key research areas of Polish linguists include dialectology, onomastics, terminology, the history of the Ukrainian language, lexicology, word formation, grammar, stylistics, modern Ukrainian language culture, lexicography, terminography, phraseography, ethnolinguistics, Ukrainian linguistic folklore studies, sociolinguistics, theological linguistics, comparative studies of Ukrainian and Polish languages, translation studies, and linguodidactics.

This article explores the evolving meanings of the terms "Cold War" and "Second/New Cold War" within contemporary socio-humanities. It argues that the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war has introduced new cognitive challenges and issues, necessitating a rethinking of historical experience and a revival of traditional research strategies. This war has also led to a new global confrontation, with many countries indirectly involved. The term “Second Cold War” has become a prevalent descriptor for this global conflict, representing an attempt to extrapolate the bipolar confrontation of 1946–1989 to the present day. The article emphasizes that the term “Second Cold War” reflects a distinctive socio-humanitarian trend in which modern militarized realities are perceived as a “return of history” to the global and "post-historical" world. However, the term "Second/New Cold War" remains a derivative concept with vague content, generating various interpretations in different studies. The author suggests that the secondary nature of this term complicates its representation in traditional, paper-based encyclopedias and dictionaries. Given the rapid evolution of its meaning and usage, frequent updates to encyclopedia entries are necessary. Furthermore, the contemporary cognitive landscape of extreme militarized modernity encourages the expansion of online resources within the framework of national (Ukrainian) encyclopedism.

The article explores potential directions for employing generative artificial intelligence to enhance encyclopedia articles. Specifically, it proposes the idea of building additional knowledge-based content on encyclopedia platforms designed to summarize the information contained within articles (e.g., generating highlights, annotations, summaries, etc., through AI tools). According to the authors, such supplementary text blocks would be both interesting and beneficial for readers, aiming to improve article comprehension and retention of information while enabling them to quickly grasp the essence of extensive articles. A case study using selected articles from the Encyclopedia of Modern Ukraine demonstrates that virtual assistants like ChatGPT and Gemini exhibit a satisfactory level of proficiency in generating this type of supplementary content. However, the authors also emphasize the risks of editorial misuse of artificial intelligence, as it could be employed to generate primary content of articles replacing human authors. This raises concerns regarding the accuracy, reliability, and overall value of such content. Finally, the article underscores the need for scholarly discourse on ethical standards for the use of artificial intelligence by encyclopedia editorial officers.

The article traces the history of library encyclopedias, focusing particularly on Ukraine. It highlights that the initial attempts to compile such library lexicons in Ukraine date back to the early 20th century, though systematic efforts in this sector only began in the second half of the century. At present, Ukraine hosts two online library encyclopedias, including the Ukrainian Library Encyclopedia and the Kharkiv Library Encyclopedia. The article examines the concept of library encyclopedistics as presented in Ukraine’s academic discourse, emphasizing its multifaceted interpretation: as a scholarly discipline (encyclopedia scholarship), a practical activity (encyclopedia assembling), and publishing achievements in the field of library science (the pool of library encyclopedias, as well as wealth of subject-specific knowledge). Additionally, the author outlines proposed pathways for Ukraine’s further advancing library encyclopedias, as well as the related scholarship. These include establishing a coordination center for library encyclopedias (library encyclopedistics) and developing a comprehensive web portal. This portal would serve as an information and search system dedicated to library science and feature reference content from both national and regional library encyclopedias.

The article offers a panoramic analysis of modern media lexicography, focusing on the current language communication development processes and information content evolution. The articleʼs purpose is to explain the reasons for the emergence and comprehensive analysis of new types of media dictionaries that correlate with the globalization processes of modern times. Particular emphasis is placed on the electronic media lexicography — dictionaries, encyclopedias, glossaries, etc., as well as new parameters of lexicographing dictionary entries, and the phenomenon of e-lexicographic interface, which should meet the requirements of the time and nature of the digitalized age, is explained. An attempt is made to classify media e-dictionaries based on their emergence and functioning in the virtual space, the parameters of media lexicographic editions of a new type are defined, their register part, macro- and microstructure, illustrative material, description features of dictionary entries, and data update formats are analyzed. On the basis of the collected e-card index for the future dictionary of media neophraseology, a model of a new edition is proposed with a focus on its electronic representation and the use of creolization, which allows us to refer this type of work to the innovative media e-lexicography.

The project report provides an overview of the preparatory stages leading up to the creation of the Literary Encyclopedia of Cherkasy and offers a detailed description of the structural components implemented in the first two volumes of this three-volume reference work, ensuring its thoroughness and comprehensiveness in documenting the region’s literary history. Using a combination of historical and literary analysis, systematization, and description, this project report offers a comprehensive exploration of the enduring importance and current applicability of the Literary Encyclopedia of Cherkasy. This Encyclopedia is highlighted as a significant contribution to the preservation and popularization of the Cherkasy region’s literary heritage.

This communication provides an overview of the large-scale scholarly encyclopedia project, Encyclopedia of Slavic Languages and Linguistics Online. It justifies the involvement of the “Brill” publishing in the implementation of this encyclopedia, outlines its structure and authorship. The paper emphasizes that, despite the Slavic theme, the majority of contributors of encyclopedia articles are linguists from the United States (including the editor-in-chief) and Western Europe, which affects the level of representation of issues, phenomena, and units related to the Ukrainian language in the encyclopedia articles.

Author informs about the large Slovak encyclopedia “Beliana”. It is noted that of the planned over 20 volumes, only nine have been published so far. The significant contribution of Ukrainians, particularly Mykola Mushynka, in preparing encyclopedia articles dedicated to Ukrainian topics is highlighted.

This communication examines the creation and implementation of a series of interconnected online encyclopedias dedicated to the works of prominent Ukrainian figures: Taras Shevchenko, Ivan Franko, Mykhailo Hrushevsky, and Lesia Ukrainka. These digital resources have significantly contributed to Ukrainian culture and literature. The author offers an in-depth look at the technological framework of the project, including the content management system, website structure, and tools for searching and analyzing information. Attention is also given to the process of populating the sites with content and evaluating user traffic. Finally, the review outlines a vision for the project’s future development, highlighting plans for expansion and enhancement.

This article deals with the complexities of possessive pronouns in the Ukrainian language, with a particular emphasis on their practical application in editing, especially for encyclopedia entries. The author conducts a thorough analysis of the semantic and syntactic features of these pronouns, revealing how their meanings can extend beyond the traditional notion of ownership to encompass a wider range of semantic nuances, such as characteristics, properties, and relationships. By examining a variety of linguistic contexts, the study illuminates the versatility of possessive pronouns in Ukrainian and provides valuable insights for editors and language learners alike.

This review examines the encyclopedic dictionary “Modern History (global and Romanian)”, published in Chisinau in 2023. The reference book contains over 2300 encyclopedia entries dedicated to significant events, phenomena, processes, and prominent figures of the 20th and 21st centuries. The reviewed work rightfully pays significant attention to the history of Bessarabia, the Moldavian ASSR, the Moldavian SSR, and the Republic of Moldova. However, there is a considerable amount of information related to Ukraine. This review delves into the dictionary’s coverage of Ukraine, highlighting encyclopedia entries on the state, key figures, some globally known tragic events, and the country’s complex historical trajectory.

The Ukraine’s encyclopedia industry has faced several new challenges as a result of the current war, including funding issues, personnel shortages, and limited access to verified information sources. Based on the monograph Ukrainian Encyclopedias in Current Socio-Communicative Challenges (Kyiv, 2024), the authors examine the difficulties that the industry has encountered amidst Russian aggression. The study emphasizes the importance of encyclopedias in affirming national identity and countering harmful disinformation, including anti-Ukrainian narratives. The role of the Encyclopedia of Modern Ukraine in this process is highlighted.