Ukrainian publishing Industry Struggles After the Russian Invasion

Children from Ukraine created hand-drawn images for the exhibition Mama. I Saw War depicts some of the anguish they have gone through in the previous 12 months.

on Mar 13, 2023

The Ukrainian publishers who had intended to present the children's books from their country at the world fair, which was held a month after Russia's invasion, withdrew their participation.

The abandoned building, still bearing Ukraine's name on the walls, later served as a focal point for the publishing industry's outrage.

The table was bustling with activity a year later as weeping writers, publishers, and artists came back to share their tales of sorrow and hope.

Children from Ukraine created hand-drawn images for the exhibition Mama. I Saw War depicts some of the anguish they have gone through in the previous 12 months.

A military aircraft blocking a brilliant rainbow, a menacing crimson mist lingering over a settlement, and dejected birds circling over a lifeless city are a few examples.

Olena Odynoka from the Ukrainian Book Institute adds, "These are true illustrations of things that children shouldn't have ever imagined," during a panel discussion.

"But, despite everything, our children continue to dream. They continue to read and sketch. While people are in bomb shelters, books have evolved into a source of solace, protection, and a place to hide.

Also, it was a physical escape.

Mariana Savka remembered how families who left their houses amid the rocket fire and street fighting found refuge in the offices of her Old Lion Publishing Company in the western city of Lviv.

She explains, "The publishing firm is also a bookshop, and we shut down that quite quickly after the first weeks of the Russian invasion.

But as soon as we shut our doors, we opened them again because a lot of individuals, especially from the east, who had their homes completely devastated by severe bombing, came to Lviv on their way to leave the country.

While the Ukrainian publishing business is still active, with a mix of initiatives funded by EU funding and participation in trade shows, Odynoka claims the sector is a mere shell of what it once was.

The institute's study indicates that from 2021 to 2022, the number of publishing houses in the nation decreased by half, to 549, all of which were declared active.