Russian attack on Kyiv damages publisher’s printer, destroys 800,000 books and impacts cultural figures

Russia’s July 2 attack on Kyiv damaged a printing house producing books for the Ranok publishing house, destroyed 800,000 books belonging to BookChef, and damaged the homes of several Ukrainian media and cultural figures.

The Megapolihraf printing house, one of Ranok’s production partners, sustained damage during the attack.

“One of Ranok’s contractors is currently producing textbooks for the upcoming school year,” Ranok CEO Victor Kruglov wrote on Facebook. “Equipment, paper, semifinished materials, and newly printed history of Ukraine and technology textbooks have been damaged.”

Megapolihraf premises

The printing house has suspended operations. No employees were injured.

Ranok is one of Ukraine’s largest publishers of educational and children’s literature. Founded in Kharkiv in 1997, it publishes books in Ukrainian, Romanian, Kazakh, German, Chinese and English. The publisher is the only Ukrainian member of the European Educational Publishers Group.

The attack also damaged a warehouse operated by Denka Logistics, BookChef’s logistics partner, destroying 800,000 books, the publisher wrote on Facebook. No employees at the logistics center were injured.

“These are books created through the work of authors, translators, editors, illustrators, designers, printers, managers and logistics specialists. They represent years of work by many people,” the publisher said.

BookChef has temporarily suspended promotional campaigns with its retail partners until the number of reprints stabilizes.

BookChef CEO Oleksandr Kirpichov said the publisher is temporarily unable to receive, process or ship orders as usual, warning that delays, including for newly printed editions, are expected while the company restores its logistics. The publisher said it will continue operating, adding that purchasing its books is the best way to support the restoration of its print runs.

The attack also damaged or destroyed the homes of several Ukrainian media and cultural figures, according to posts published by those affected on Facebook.

Among them are Iryna Plekhova, deputy director for cultural projects and communications at the Kyiv Cultural Cluster, director of the Lira Cinema and a publishing researcher, filmmaker and screenwriter Oleh Chornyi, filmmaker Iryna Tsilyk, and Vadym Miskyi, program director of Detector Media and a member of the supervisory board of Suspilne.

Nothing remained intact in the apartment shared by Plekhova and Chornyi.

Photo credit: Iryna Plekhova’s Facebook page

“Our house is on fire, and we had to evacuate again. The attack is still ongoing. I don’t know how to describe how I feel. It is no longer fear or confusion. There is nothing we can do. My husband rescued a neighbor from the burning building, while I called every emergency service amid the explosions,” Plekhova wrote.

Their home had previously been damaged during a Russian attack on June 15.

Tsilyk said an apartment in her building was damaged after a fragment flew into her son’s room.

“The path of a single fragment is impossible to predict. My building has been damaged for the sixth time, and our neighbors have been hit even harder. Some had only just replaced their windows before they were blown out again, and cars were also damaged. Hoping lightning won’t strike twice no longer seems realistic,” wrote Tsilyk.

Photo credit: Iryna Tsilyk’s Facebook page

A Russian missile also struck the courtyard of the building where Miskyi lives in Kyiv.

Photo credit: Detektor Media

“Some residents had their doors blown off, and the blast wave destroyed everything inside. Fortunately, my door remained in place, so the damage inside was less severe. The windows were blown out, and the apartment is covered with shattered glass and broken belongings. The building itself appears to have remained structurally intact. I haven’t seen any flooding yet, but it is clear the apartment will be uninhabitable for some time because it is in an emergency condition,” Miskyi said.

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Images: BookChef, Victor Kruglov, Detektor media

Main image: BookChef