International Book Arsenal opens in Kyiv

The 11th Book Arsenal international festival has opened in Kyiv. The Arsenal is an annual intellectual event, which consists of programming and a book fair with thematic sections. This year’s theme is “When Everything Matters.”

“This year’s Book Arsenal is smaller than in previous years, but its holding is proof of the stability of our state and society, which works even despite the war,” Olesia Ostrovska-Liuta, general director of the Mystetskyi Arsenal National Art and Culture Museum Complex, said.

President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and First Lady, Olena Zelenska, visited the festival. The couple viewed the thematic sections and also purchased 11 books. In particular, Why the West Rules – For Now by Ian Morris and On Tyranny Graphic Edition: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder.

“The name of the biggest book event in the country – Book Arsenal – sounds especially apt now. Because books have truly become our arsenal, our cultural weapon. That is why I visit it with special feelings. Every text, novel, story, and poem is our resistance to destruction. Proof that we, Ukrainians, are and will be on our land. We will because we save, protect and value each other. Because they are caring and humane,” Olena Zelenska said.

Among the events of the festival is Timothy Snyder’s online lecture “Why Freedom Matters More Than Everything”, as well as the presentation of the war diary “I am transforming” by Volodymyr Vakulenko, a Ukrainian writer who was tortured to death by the Russian invaders last year.

The UK writer Peter Pomerantsev, Managing Director of the German Publishers and Booksellers Association Peter Kraus vom Cleff, Director of the International Book Fair and Literary Festival Book World Prague Radovan Auer and others will also join the Book Arsenal.

The festival will last from June 22 to 25. These are about 100 events that will take place on the first floor of the Mystetskyi Arsenal in Kyiv.

Earlier, on June 22, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a law banning the import and distribution of Russian books.