\"Going to a Party\" (1973) by Ukrainian artist Liubov Panchenko; her beautiful and diverse portfolio is the subject of one of the books in today's selections below.

Today we're going to focus on one of the most timeless of holiday gifts: Books!

I've aspired to include a selection of different themes, leaning more towards image-heavy books where the language barrier won't be so steep. Some of the books are translated to English, though! I've also tried to include more than one Ukrainian bookstore that does international shipping so you can browse around and potentially find other selections that may interest you or someone special.

Disclaimer: We are not affiliated with any of the companies that appear here.

Pro Tip: Install a translation extension for your browser of choice, as not every shop has a built-in English option, but I did make sure that they all function with a translation extension and that they do international shipping.

Find Part 1 of the guide HERE

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Books 1

• Top: Brave to Bring the Light, available at Book Lion
  • 30 Ukrainian photographers record of the energy crisis due to the destruction of Ukrainian infrastructure facilities by the russian military.
• Bottom: How We Walk Through the Fire, available in English at Ukrainian Pages
  • A unique collection of 155 (in reference to 155mm artillery shells) of the most powerful documentary photographs from Ukraine's leading photographers, supplemented by texts written by prominent writers and public figures. All profits go to Come Back Alive foundation.

Books 2

• Top: What Shall We Call This War?, available from Ukraїner
  • An archive of pivotal events, supplemented with documentary photos, battle maps, illustrations, memes, and infographics from the first two years of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
• Bottom: Vogue Ukraine, Spring 2024 issue, available from Book Lion
  • Features Oksana, a 21-year-old military volunteer and platoon commander, a poet and a public figure – along with interviews with designers, curators, artists and patrons.
  • Proceeds go to Veteranka Foundation, which supports female veterans and the Ukrainian military.

Books 3

• Top: Liubov Panchenko: Recovery, available at Book Lion.
  • We wrote about Liubov Panchenko in this sunrise post all the way back on Day 68. Sadly, this Ukrainian visionary and influential member of the "Sixtiers" movement of artists during soviet occupation died under russian federation occupation in Bucha in 2022.
  • This 2023 book, lovingly printed in vibrant colors, is the only publication of her vital work.
• Bottom: All Shades of Mariupol Mosaics, available at Book Lion.
  • In 2020, Mariupol art critic Oleksandr Chernov and journalist Stanislav Ivanov published this book, recording information about 26 mosaics that could still be seen on the walls of the city's buildings at that time. Now in 2024 it has been reprinted – mainly as a memory and preservation of this cultural information which has either already been destroyed by russian genocide or is in the process of suffering that fate.
  • You can read about some of the damaged cultural heritage of Ukrainian murals of Mariupol, and witness an example of their destruction, in this post.

Books 4

• Top: Oleksandr Dubovyk: The Signs, available at Book Ye.
  • This book contains more than four decades of works by the artist – we wrote a sunrise post about him here – an ingenious icon and a true iconoclast of the 1960s, who emerged from that difficult period with a practice that is still influential and relevant today.
• Bottom: Vasyl Krychevskyi: Ornament Compositions, available at Book Ye.
  • Vasyl was an incredible graphic designer whose work we wrote about in the past here. You might remember him as the designer of the gorgeous artwork adorning the Poltava Museum of Local Lore.
  • This book presents 200 samples of his ornamental design work: timeless, bold, and still influential.

Books 5

• Top: The Authentic Ukrainian Kitchen: Recipes from a Native Chef, available in a lot of places.
  • This 2024 book (in English!) by Ukrainian Chef Yevhen Klopotenko makes a fantastic gift! If you're not familiar with this fellow, check out this writeup along with the AMA he did on r/Ukraine last year HERE.
  • We didn't include a link because this book is available in your local bookstore, or from its publisher Hachette, or from your nearest transnational corporate online distribution network of choice. The ISBN is 9780316559393.
• Bottom: Treasures of Ukraine: A Nation's Cultural Heritage, available in a lot of places.
  • This is a great survey of Ukrainian cultural artifacts from the times of Scythians and Kyivan Rus to today, presented by Ukrainian writers and scholars in the context of the threat of destruction by the russian federation. It has 220 different images printed nicely in a big coffee table book, great for someone who is new to Ukrainian culture but is a curious reader who wants to learn more!
  • It too is available in a lot of places – maybe ask for it at your local bookshop. The ISBN is 0500026033.

Books 6

• Top: Pokuttia Embroidered Shirts, available (Presale, shipping in December) from Book Lion.
  • Calling all embroidery fans! This is the first scientific study of the collection of Pokuttia region embroidered shirts from the collections of the Andrey Sheptytskyi National Museum in Lviv. It features high quality close up images forming a catalog of shirts from different areas of the region, along with analysis of form and design.
• Bottom: Dr. Leonardo’s Journey to Sloboda Switzerland with His Future Lover, the Beautiful Alcesta, available from Harvard University Press.
  • Maik Johansen was a prominent Ukrainian modernist writer who was executed by russians in 1937. He thus became a tragic member of the entire generation – thousands of Ukrainian intellectuals – murdered by russians known as the 'Executed Renaissance.'
  • We wrote about Maik Johansen in this sunrise post.
  • This 2024 printing is the first English translation of his witty and exuberant novel, considered one of the brightest achievements of the Ukrainian modernist movement.

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Let's Wrap it Up!

Protect A Volunteer Wrapping Paper

One of my favorite things is to wrap books, there's something really satisfying about that. This year, you could order up some Protect A Volunteer paper that will not only help you do that, but you'll also be donating to a good cause and perhaps spark some interesting conversations 🙂

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Please let me know if there are any gift themes you'd like to see in upcoming installments!

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The 1005th day of a ten-year invasion that has been going on for centuries.

One day closer to victory.

🇺🇦 HEROIAM SLAVA! 🇺🇦