From the beginning of the full-scale invasion until the end of July 2024, Russia destroyed or damaged 1,096 cultural heritage sites, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture and Information Policy. The majority of damaged sites are located in the Kharkiv region.
For the last century, Kharkiv has been recognized as a significant city for both economics and culture, and for the past 30 years, it has been known as Ukraine’s printing capital. Today, to keep on going and due to constant missile strikes, some publishers have moved literally underground, like Kharkiv publisher Oleksandr Savchuk. However, this move may be a backup plan only for small companies and is not always possible for bigger ones, like printing houses.
Unfortunately, the Russian missile attack on May 23, which destroyed the Factor Druk printing house, has slowed down Ukraine’s book publishing industry. The attack on one of Europe’s largest printing complexes has caused a backlog in printing orders and is expected to drive up book prices. The destruction has also impacted the educational sector, as the printing house produced 40% of Ukraine’s school textbooks and a third of all books printed in Ukraine.
People are the most important
The attack on Factor Druk is a tragedy for the entire printing industry. The strike killed seven skilled specialists with irreplaceable expertise. The victims were not only employees of this printing house but also worked at other book production facilities in the city. They were professionals with years of experience, and their loss is deeply felt by the publishing community.
Shelling hits Kharkiv every day, forcing people to leave and causing a shortage of specialists. Besides, many of them are currently fighting on the front lines.
Russian forces have previously targeted key printing industry facilities, including Unisoft, which was damaged due to shelling. They also launched a missile strike on the Hurov and Co. printing house in March. In July 2022, the occupiers heavily damaged the House of Printing, almost completely destroying it, and struck the logistics center of the Ranok publishing house.
“The loss of human life is the most devastating aspect of this tragedy,” said Viktor Kruglov, director of the Ranok publishing house. “While equipment can be replaced, the people who lost their lives in the strike are irreplaceable. We’re already experiencing a shortage of specialists in the industry, making this loss even more keenly felt.”
The queues for printing
Tetiana Hryniuk, CEO of Factor Druk, told Chytomo that the company is currently signing contracts with equipment manufacturers and searching for used equipment, as new machines are prohibitively expensive. Meanwhile, the company is clearing debris and dismantling the roof. “Much more than 50,000 books were destroyed in the fire,” she said.
Factor Druk’s annual production capacity of 10 million books cannot be compensated by other printing houses, leading to delayed new releases. Following the demand in printing, one of the publishers has even announced plans to build a new factory in Western Ukraine. However, one local factory is unlikely to solve the situation.
Apart from delays, Viktor Kruglov predicts the Russian attack’s destructive consequences will increase book printing costs. Power outages, material shortages, and potential new shelling in the Kharkiv region, where many printing houses are located, will also impact printing services costs. Relocating such capacities is not feasible or financially viable.
Impact on education
When the shelling occurred, around 3% of the textbooks intended for Ukrainian schools for the upcoming academic year were in various stages of production at Factor Druk. The printing complex annually produced approximately 40% of all educational materials, making the attack’s most significant consequence a potential shortage of printed textbooks. Currently, production is completely suspended. If Factor Druk is not restored quickly, the education sector may face a severe shortage of educational literature next year.
Photo courtesy of the Governor of Kharkiv Oblast Oleh Syniehubov
The total number of books destroyed at the Factor Group Company is estimated to be over 150,000. Factor Druk’s losses, including destroyed and damaged unique equipment, are estimated to exceed USD 8.5 million. Meanwhile, publishing house Ranok’s damages amount to almost USD 200,000. However, by the end of July, Viktor Kruhlov announced that Ranok had partly replaced the destroyed batch and printed 69,000 textbooks.
Tetiana Hryniuk estimates that restoring the printing house could take up to six months, pending receipt of funds from foreign donors. Industry experts have offered diverse opinions on potential aid, but agree on the need for a mechanism to insure military risks for enterprises operating in the Kharkiv region.
Help from readers, business, and international community
Currently, neither publishers nor printers will receive compensation, as insurance companies refuse to insure businesses in Kharkiv. Experts suggest that grant support from the European Commission for purchasing books for libraries could be a vital instrument in supporting the industry’s recovery.
In the initial weeks, readers rallied to support the printing house and affected publishers. Among the most active supporters were Vivat’s readers who ordered almost 20,000 books within a month, which marked almost fourfold increase from the orders of the previous month.
In addition to reader support, state leaders and international funds have pledged assistance. Shortly after the attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a law providing subsidies for bookstores and book certificates.
The Renaissance Foundation was the first to respond with grant support for the recovery, and later, the fund of American billionaire Howard Buffett announced plans to help restore Factor Druk’s losses. Additionally, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will allocate funds for printing textbooks for junior school students in Ukraine.
The German Publishers and Booksellers Association has immediately issued a statement urging people to donate and support Factor Druk. Notably, German publisher Katapult, which prints its geopolitical magazine “Katapult” at Factor Druk, has launched a fundraiser to aid the affected printing house.
Russia struck a devastating blow to Kharkiv’s printing capabilities just a week before the International Book Arsenal Festival, a premier event in Ukraine’s publishing industry. In a show of solidarity with the damaged printing house and publishers, the festival featured a poignant stand titled “Books destroyed by Russia,” displaying charred publications and allowing visitors to donate to Factor Druk’s restoration via a QR code. The powerful exhibition will now travel to various countries, raising awareness and support for Ukraine’s publishing industry.
