Ukrainian pupils will have German language textbooks despite Russian attack on Factor Druk

One of Ukraine’s major publishing houses, Ranok, has fully replaced the destroyed batch of 7th-grade German language textbooks lost in the attack on the Factor Druk printing house in Kharkiv.

Shelling of the Factor Druk printing complex destroyed nearly 69,000 copies of the “German Language” textbook, almost the entire print run. Viktor Kruglov, general director of the Ranok publishing house, said the company had been contracted to produce more than 82,000 copies for seventh-grade students by the start of the school year. “After the strike, 68,500 textbooks were destroyed,” he said.

According to Kruglov, the textbook’s entire print run had been printed and was gradually being shipped from Factor Druk to the publisher’s logistics centers. On the morning of May 23, shortly before the attack on the printing house, the publisher had removed some of the textbooks, while the rest burned during the shelling.

The strike also destroyed print runs of children’s books and 60 tons of paper for other educational publications, with losses estimated at several million hryvnias ($200,000 USD). Ranok restored the destroyed print run at its own expense, adjusting schedules and urgently ordering paper from abroad. Four partner printing houses assisted with the emergency printing, with staff working multiple shifts from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. due to the urgency and energy situation.

Viktor Kruglov said the company provided generators to power the printing machines, but that the heat and warmth from the machines caused temperatures in the workshops to soar above 40 degrees, melting the ink.

“I’m immensely grateful to the employees for their diligent work under extremely difficult conditions,” he said. The restored print run of “German Language” is being delivered to educational authorities ahead of the school year, with school libraries to receive their copies later. Meanwhile, the foundation of American billionaire Howard Buffett will help restore equipment at Factor Druk.

The restored print run of “German Language” is being delivered to educational authorities ahead of the school year, with school libraries to receive their copies later.

Ranok Corporation is one of the leading publishers in Ukraine’s educational, children’s, and methodological literature market, with a portfolio of over 800 titles across various genres, topics, and formats. The corporation’s imprints include Ranok LLC, Barabooka, ART LLC, Fabula LLC, and Publishing Group “Osnova” LLC, among others. Ranok ranks third in Ukraine for foreign rights sales volume.

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Copy editing: Joy Tataryn