Founded in 1926.

The Institute of Literature is the leading academic institution of literature in Ukraine. It carries out theoretical and applied studies in philology along the lines 'Fundamental research in the fields of natural, socio-humanitarian and technical sciences', with the focus on: 1) preparing fundamental theoretical, historical and literary studies, text-books, schoolbooks, encyclopaedias, indices, bibliographic and other reference books; 2) training research personnel; 3) co-ordinating research in the field of literary criticism; 4) collecting, preserving and studying Ukrainian authors' manuscripts.

In accordance with the Institute's structure and priority tasks, it carries out research in:

- history of the Ukrainian literature;

- source and text studies of the Ukrainian literature;

- T. Shevchenko studies;

- history of foreign literatures;

- literature theory and methodology of literature studies;

- comparative studies of literatures;

- literature-study bibliography.

One of the major achievements of the Institute is the preparation and publication of complete writings of Ukrainian literature classics (those by Taras Shevchenko – in 12 volumes, Ivan Franko – in 50 volumes, by Hryhoriy Skovoroda, Lesia Ukrainka, Maxym Rylsky, Oles Gonchar et al.). Several versions of the history of the Ukrainian literature were prepared by the Institute. The most fundamental of them still is the 'History of the Ukrainian Literature' in 8 volumes, which was published in the sixties. Numerous works of the Institute were honoured with T. Shevchenko State Prize of Ukraine.

The schoolchilren and students of Ukraine learn under study programs and with schoolbooks, text-books and reading-books prepared by the Institute's scholars. Since 1957 the Institute has published "Slovo i Chas" ("Word and Time") academic journal. Our latest collective writings are: "Vikno v Svit" ("Window into the World"), "Literaturoznavchi Obriyi" ("Literary Horizons"), "Literaturna Komparatyvistyka" ("Comparative Literature Studies"), "Amerykanski Literaturni Studii v Ukraini" ("American Literature Studies in Ukraine"), "Spadschyna"("Heritage"), "Teoretychni Revizii"("Theoretical Revisions").

Today the Institute is engaged in the following projects:

- "Taras Shevchenko Encyclopedia" in 4 volumes;

- a new "Complete Academic Edition of Taras Shevchenko's Works" in 12 volumes;

- a new "Academic History of the Ukrainian Literature" in 12 volumes;

- an anthology of contemporary comparative literature studiess;

- a new "Complete Academic Edition of Ivan Franko's Works" in 100 volumes;

- "Lesia Ukrainka Encyclopedia".