Here is my selection of creative and sometimes serious books and zines about Ukraine, with links to the writers, publishers, and shops—so you can explore, follow, and buy directly.
https://www.maksymeristavi.com/
IG: maksym.eristavi
Russian Colonialism 101 (2023)
Writer: Maksym Eristavi
This book delves into the extensive history of Russian colonialism, shedding light on its impact over the past century. He collaborated with Ukrainian artists to transform this thread into an illustrated pocket guide, detailing 48 recent instances of Russian colonialism.
Maksym has more interesting books on his website
https://istpublishing.org
IG: ist_publishing
We Who Have Changed
Edited by Daria Badior and Anastasia Platonova
The ten essays tell stories about leaving homes, intellectual and professional reinventions, the emotional burden of witnessing, attempts to explain this war’s cultural pretexts to people outside Ukraine, and finding one’s own voice in the world that changed forever.
Find more amazing books at the Ist Publishing website
https://www.solomiyamag.com
IG: solomiyamag
Solomiya Magazine
Solomiya is an artist-run independent magazine that delves into Ukraine’s cultural and artistic scene. Launched in 2022 amidst the backdrop of the Russian invasion, it serves as a platform for both emerging and established Ukrainian creatives, showcasing their resilience and perspectives through various forms of expression, from visual arts to written narratives.
IG: theinformationfront
The Information Front Magazne
The Information Front is a series of publications showcasing photographs of the war in Ukraine, taken by Ukrainian photographers. Launched in 2022, it serves as a tool for countering disinformation and propaganda. The first volume includes pictures by 24 photographers covering the war in Ukraine
The Moscoviad
Writer: Yuri Andrukhovych
Yuri Andrukhovych’s The Moscoviad is a riotous, surreal, and scathingly satirical novel that captures the decaying spirit of late Soviet Moscow through the drunken, wandering gaze of a Ukrainian poet. The book is both a wild adventure and a sharp political critique, blending absurdity, dark humor, and poetic beauty into a feverish narrative.
https://livingthewar.media/
IG: livingthewar
Living The War
Living the War is a non-profit documentary project that chronicles the real lives of Ukrainians during the ongoing Russian invasion. Established in Kyiv in May 2022, it aims to answer the pressing question: “How do you live there during the war?” By sharing personal stories and photographic evidence, the project provides intimate insights into daily life amidst conflict.
https://www.slanted.de
Slanted Magazine #43—Ukraine
This is a special edition that delves into the vibrant Ukrainian design scene, highlighting the resilience and creativity of its artists amidst challenging times. Published in the Spring/Summer of 2024, this 224-page issue features 20 interviews with Ukrainian designers and creatives, both within the country and abroad, offering diverse insights and perspectives.
Writing from Ukraine
Edited by: Mark Andryczyk
This is an anthology showcasing the evolution of Ukrainian literature from the Soviet era to the present. Edited by Mark Andryczyk, it features works by fifteen writers exploring themes of identity, history, and resilience, highlighting Ukraine’s rich literary tradition and cultural transformation.
East West Street: On the Origins of "Genocide" and "Crimes Against Humanity"
Writer: Philippe Sands
East West Street is a deeply compelling book that intertwines legal history, personal memoir, and Ukraine’s role in shaping international justice. Focusing on the origins of genocide and crimes against humanity, Sands traces the lives of two legal minds from Lviv —whose ideas formed the foundation of modern human rights law. Through his grandfather’s story, the book reveals Ukraine’s intellectual and cultural significance in shaping the world’s response to atrocity.
In the Eye of the Storm: Modernism in Ukraine 1900-1930s
Writer: Philippe Sands
Publisher: https://thamesandhudson.com/
The book presents the ground-breaking art produced in Ukraine in the early 20th century, focusing on the three key cultural centres of Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa. Against a complicated socio-political backdrop of collapsing empires, World War I, the revolutions of 1917 with the ensuing Ukrainian War of Independence, and the eventual creation of Soviet Ukraine, several strands of distinctly Ukrainian art emerged.