Writing in Times of War: Oleksandr Mykhed on Losing Ukrainian Books to Russian Bombs

On Thursday, August 27, air raid alarms went off continuously, with each alarm lasting an average of 14 hours. The relentless bombardment from Russian drones left the city in a constant state of fear. Schools, shopping centers, and hospitals closed their doors during these alerts. Meanwhile, a Russian drone attack on a university in Kyiv spared 160 students, who managed to find shelter in time.

The Russian forces targeted warehouses storing books belonging to Ukrainian publishers, destroying over 12 million books in the process. One loss that struck close to home was the destruction of works by a contemporary Ukrainian artist, whose books were en route to Paris for his first solo exhibition. In a single night, losses exceeded a year's worth of book sales.

This tragic event left publishers scrambling to print the books they were confident would sell, often pushing back publication dates for debut authors. A friend of mine, who had sold his debut novel to a publisher, faced the grim reality that his book might not be released until the following spring. As the logistics centers holding books from dozens of publishers were destroyed, publishers were forced to focus on more basic, commercially viable titles.

The impact of these attacks extended beyond the publishing industry. Successful Ukrainian authors found themselves without a source of income, as their printed works were destroyed in Russian attacks. This loss of income forced writers to seek alternative ways to make a living, taking them away from their creative pursuits. The fragile chain of book production and distribution was broken, with writers finding it increasingly difficult to produce new works in the midst of war.