Chytomo Award winner Osnovy turns Frankfurt Book Fair stand into statement

Ukrainian publishing house Osnovy has left its stand at the 2026 Frankfurt Book Fair almost empty to draw attention to the impact of Russian attacks on Ukraine’s publishing industry. The decision came after an Aug. 28 Russian drone strike destroyed a warehouse containing its books, causing substantial financial losses and preventing the publisher’s team from attending the fair in person.

According to the publisher, the attack destroyed around 40% of its book inventory, with estimated losses of 400,000 euros. Osnovy had initially planned to send part of its team to Frankfurt to meet international partners, discuss its books, and promote Ukrainian literature and visual arts internationally. Osnovy received its own stand at the fair through the Frankfurter Buchmesse Special Award, presented as part of the 2025 Chytomo Award for Outstanding Achievements in Ukrainian Book Publishing and Literature.

“However, following the Russian attack on Aug. 28, when a warehouse containing our books and those of other Ukrainian publishers was destroyed, we were forced to adjust the format of our participation, as the substantial financial losses and the resulting strain on our team mean that we are currently unable to participate fully in the fair,” Osnovy told Chytomo.

The publisher explained that it had turned its absence in person into a statement intended to draw foreign audiences’ attention to the consequences of Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine for Ukrainian publishing.

“We are deliberately leaving our stand at the fair almost empty. For us, this is a way to show the reality in which Ukrainian publishing operates today: books can be written, translated, edited, designed, laid out, and printed — and turn to ashes overnight. A publishing house can make plans for a year ahead, only to have to start all over again the next day after suffering losses comparable to its annual revenue,” Osnovy said.

Despite the losses, the publisher said its stand was also intended to encourage international publishers to discover Ukrainian authors and their works.

“Despite the war, constant shelling, and financial losses, we continue to work and have something to offer the international market. Therefore, for us, this stand is both a testimony to what is happening to the Ukrainian publishing industry and an invitation for foreign publishers to find something of interest in Ukrainian authors and their works for themselves and their audiences,” the publisher added.

Osnovy is presenting several titles to international publishers, including Kateryna Trompak’s novel “Poor Irving.” Set in 1938, the story follows a young American woman who arrives in Carpathian Ukraine and attempts to uncover her family history.

The publisher is also offering Volodymyr Dibrova’s trilogy “The Lives of the Illustrious,” a literary triptych exploring the lives of prominent figures in 20th-century Ukrainian culture. The books examine the private lives of individuals whose biographies later became part of public history, addressing themes of art, power, compromise, and survival.

Another title is Ivan Kozlenko’s novel “Tangier,” set in Odesa in the late 1990s. The story explores youth, queer identity, friendship, desire, and self-discovery, drawing connections between the city’s contemporary cultural environment and its artistic scene of the 1920s. Kozlenko is also represented by “Anna Sten: Cinema and Life,” a biography of the Ukrainian-born actress who worked in European and American cinema. In the 1930s, producer Samuel Goldwyn brought her to Hollywood, hoping to establish her as a second Greta Garbo. Kozlenko examines the actress’s life, distinguishing documented facts from the myths surrounding her career.

The publisher is also presenting illustrations by Ukrainian comic book artist Igor Baranko for Laozi’s “Tao Te Ching.”

Founded in 1992, Osnovy initially focused on publishing Ukrainian translations of major works of philosophy, social thought, and classical literature. The publishing house later expanded into books on art, photography, and architecture. In 2024, a new team joined the publishing house, marking another stage in its development.

As reported earlier, Osnovy received the Frankfurter Buchmesse Special Award at the 2025 Chytomo Award ceremony in Kyiv on Jan. 29, 2026. The award included a free exhibition stand at the 2026 Frankfurt Book Fair.

The Aug. 28 Russian attack struck warehouses storing books belonging to several Ukrainian publishers and bookstores, including Osnovy, Vivat, Readeat, and Book.ua. The strike was part of a series of Russian attacks on Ukraine’s publishing infrastructure that have destroyed millions of books.

The 2026 Frankfurt Book Fair runs from Oct. 7–11, with Czechia as this year’s guest of honor.

Photos: Osnovy