Ukraine’s Book Chamber raises funds to save archive-collection after Russian bombings burst pipes and cause flooding

Apr 4, 2026

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Ukraine’s Ivan Fedorov Book Chamber, and the issuer of ISBN’s for the country risks losing its archive-collection that spans decades and up to 15 million books, after pipes in the building have been burst due to Russian bombings on energy and public infrastructure. The building ha also been damaged by nearby bomb-blasts with its windows shattered.

The crisis at the offices of the Book Chamber began in January this year during Russia’s intense bombing campaign of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The Book Chamber is now raising funds to address the situation before it reaches a critical level.

The offices of the national book chamber have not been directly struck, but ever since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has systematically targeted Ukraine’s book industry as part of its war on Ukrainian culture and language. Initially, when the war started, Russia targeted the Ukrainian printing presses in the Donbas region, and then went on to systematically target the book industry all over Ukraine.

In March 2022, Russia struck the Unisoft Printing House in Kharkiv with artillery shells. In July 2022, Russian airstrikes destroyed the Budynok Druku (House of Printing) and also the Ranok publishing house logistics center in Kharkiv.

On March 20 2024, Russia used a X-35 missile designed to destroy ships, to strike an industrial printing press centre in Kharkiv that housed the (Hurov & Co. Printing House and the Aurora Printing House killing at least five employees as a result.

A month later on Mat 23, Russia bombed, one of Europe’s oldest and largest printing houses killing seven employees in the process. The Faktor-Druk printing house in Kharkiv was specifically targeted with a long-range missile, reportedly an S-300. Up to 50,000 books were burned in the attack but the facility was restored in early 2025.

In June 2025, Russia struck the headquarters of Ukrainian Priority Publishing in Kyiv along with the Skovoroda Library bookstore. In November of 2025, Russia also struck the “From A to Z” Printing House in Kyiv.