From the Valuev Circular to rockets aimed at books: Budanov announced the continuation of cultural genocide

As a result of Russian missile strikes, more than 1.5 million books were destroyed in Ukraine in less than a full month of July 2026. This was reported on July 26, 2026 by the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov.

The Russian attacks destroyed printing houses, caused fires at publishers’ warehouses and destroyed hundreds of thousands of textbooks that were to be delivered to Ukrainian schoolchildren before the start of the new school year. Budanov called the strikes on Ukrainian book publishing a deliberate continuation of the cultural genocide that Russia has been waging for centuries against the Ukrainian language, education and historical memory.

The head of the President’s Office recalled the Valuev Circular of 1863, which banned the printing of educational, scientific and religious literature in Ukrainian. Thirteen years later, in 1876, the Ems Ukaz introduced even harsher restrictions on Ukrainian publishing and the use of the language in the public sphere.

“We will rebuild the printing houses and print new books,” — emphasized Kyrylo Budanov.

According to him, despite the destruction of publishing capacities, Russian attacks will not be able to stop the development of Ukrainian culture and the printed word.

Earlier we wrote:

• A Russian cartoon in first grade cost a teacher a 3,400 hryvnia fine
• In Korabelnyi, businesses were checked for compliance with the language law: two violations were found
• People applauded and did not hold back tears: a celebration revived near the destroyed “Korabelnyi” cultural center
• A Russian drone attack on Mykolaiv damaged residential buildings, cars and a cultural institution
• The destroyed cultural memory of Mykolaiv: 77 historical sites damaged — will there be restoration?