Save the Printers! Major Ukrainian Print House Hit

In the Ukrainian city of Charkiw, dubbed “The City of Print,” Faktor Druk survived the first round of attacks in 2022. One of the largest printing houses in Ukraine, it remained open, albeit at reduced capacity—until yesterday, when the company was hit by a Russian rocket, killing staff and damaging production considerably. Donations to help the victims and rebuild production are welcome.

Charkiw, the second biggest city in the Ukraine, was hotly contested at the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Ukrainians fought back and pushed the invaders back to the border only to see the Russians marching onto Charkiw a second time in the latest round of attacks. This is leading to more destruction and civilian casualties as the town of Charkiw and its surroundings are being shelled.

Charkiw has also been termed “The City of Print” in Ukraine, with many printing companies located in the town. With about 1,100 buildings destroyed in the first attack, some of the printing companies were hit and had to close. The facilities of Faktor Druk, once a major printing company in the Ukraine producing 1.5 million books per year, survived. After having to shut down activities during the immediate action, the printing house reopened, although at a much-reduced capacity. On the one hand, of the original 400 employees, only 100 resumed work, as former employees are serving in the military service now or have fled the region. On the other hand, demand declined noticeably. Exports of books crashed and the Ukrainian state stopped ordering school books, as funds are needed for the defence efforts.

Still, Faktor Druk kept functioning until now, operating a range of web and sheetfed offset presses. For example, the company prints the Ukrainian issue of the German Katapult magazine, a publication successfully addressing adolescent readers on social science issues. The German magazine has been growing rapidly and currently has a print run of 100,000 copies. In 2022, a Ukrainian sister publication with locally adapted content was founded.

According to the publishers of the Katapult magazine, Faktor Druk was hit by a Russian rocket on the morning of the May 23, 2024, leading to many casualties and severe damage. A video of the damage can be seen here. The damage seems extensive and further operation of Faktor Druk is under threat. The magazine is collecting donations to assist in rebuilding the print operations and to support injured employees and surviving dependents. Donations can be made at:

KATAPULT-Magazin
IBAN: DE90 1505 0500 0102 0925 08
BIC: NOLADE21GRW
Subject: Ukraine

Or with this Paypal link.

As Ukraine is under considerable threat as an independent country, it is paramount to keep a viable industrial base, despite ongoing attacks on civilian infrastructure and businesses. Printing companies play an especially important role in supporting education and cultural identity. We sincerely hope that Faktor Druk, as well as other printing companies impacted by the invasion, can return to normal operation.