Posted on Apr 19, 2022
Russian invasion upends young, flourishing Ukrainian publishing industry
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https://www.npr.org/2022/04/19/ [login to see] /russian-invasion-upends-young-flourishing-ukrainian-publishing-industry
Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine serves as the center of the Ukrainian book industry, and when Russia began raining bombs down on the city in February, many of its scrappy publishers were forced to pull up stakes and flee.
But Galina Padalko is confident that they will return. Too much is at stake to stay away.
"We have one dream, to return to Kharkiv and continue our work in our hometown. And of course we all know that we will win. In our books, good always triumphs over evil," says Padalko, chief communications officer at Vivat Publishing House.
The book business has played a role in the clash between Ukraine and its larger neighbor to the north over the last decade. For many years, big Russian companies such as Eksmo dominated the publishing business in Ukraine, and Ukrainian writing was considered something of an afterthought.
Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine serves as the center of the Ukrainian book industry, and when Russia began raining bombs down on the city in February, many of its scrappy publishers were forced to pull up stakes and flee.
But Galina Padalko is confident that they will return. Too much is at stake to stay away.
"We have one dream, to return to Kharkiv and continue our work in our hometown. And of course we all know that we will win. In our books, good always triumphs over evil," says Padalko, chief communications officer at Vivat Publishing House.
The book business has played a role in the clash between Ukraine and its larger neighbor to the north over the last decade. For many years, big Russian companies such as Eksmo dominated the publishing business in Ukraine, and Ukrainian writing was considered something of an afterthought.
Russian invasion upends young, flourishing Ukrainian publishing industry
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Posted 2 y ago
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Damn straight they will return. If Ukraine has proved anything, it is that her citizens are true fighters.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."While independent publishers were allowed to attend, all but a few stayed away, and the show's director, Elena Pasoli, thinks she knows why. Many in the Russian publishing business oppose the war, but fear speaking out.
"I think they were not feeling comfortable [about] what their government was doing, and they didn't simply feel like meeting with the international community, and I totally understand that," Pasoli says.
In March, Evgeny Kapyev, general director of Russia's Eksmo, appealed to the world to rethink the boycott, arguing that most Russian publishing companies are not connected to the government. Books, he argued, should be about more than making profits. They have the power to help further understanding among people.
The argument has pretty much fallen on deaf ears.
Prominent Ukrainian literary critic Tamara Hundorova opposed the book ban imposed by her government about five year ago. But since the invasion, her outlook has changed, she says.
Ukrainians have bought millions of books published by Russian companies over the years, and some part of the proceeds ends up in the Kremlin's coffers.
"This money supports the Russian army, and bombings, and tanks that kill Ukrainian citizens," she says."
..."While independent publishers were allowed to attend, all but a few stayed away, and the show's director, Elena Pasoli, thinks she knows why. Many in the Russian publishing business oppose the war, but fear speaking out.
"I think they were not feeling comfortable [about] what their government was doing, and they didn't simply feel like meeting with the international community, and I totally understand that," Pasoli says.
In March, Evgeny Kapyev, general director of Russia's Eksmo, appealed to the world to rethink the boycott, arguing that most Russian publishing companies are not connected to the government. Books, he argued, should be about more than making profits. They have the power to help further understanding among people.
The argument has pretty much fallen on deaf ears.
Prominent Ukrainian literary critic Tamara Hundorova opposed the book ban imposed by her government about five year ago. But since the invasion, her outlook has changed, she says.
Ukrainians have bought millions of books published by Russian companies over the years, and some part of the proceeds ends up in the Kremlin's coffers.
"This money supports the Russian army, and bombings, and tanks that kill Ukrainian citizens," she says."
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