Literature & Literary Studies
October 2020
Serhiy Zhadan's new book, "Vyshyvanyi. The King of Ukraine", is a story that is always relevant, especially nowadays. It is a story of love for Ukraine. Austrian Archduke Wilhelm Franz von Habsburg-Lothringen, known as Vasyl Vyshyvanyi, played a prominent role in the Ukrainian national liberation movement. Zhadan speaks about the project: "The figure of Vyshyvany is non-trivial, interesting, and deserves all kinds of mentions and study. The coming of Vyshivany to Ukrainianness and acceptance of his identity is not a fictional story. It is interesting to learn how many people are discovering Ukraine, Ukrainian history, Ukrainian culture, and the Ukrainian language." The book has already found its supporters and even received an award in the "Best Book Design 2020" competition, held by the "Book Arsenal" International Festival in cooperation with the Goethe Institute in Ukraine. This award is fully justified: the creative tandem of Zhuk&Kelm artistic talent has created a real gem. Designer Nadiya Kelm wrote about the work: "Vyshyvany got his nickname from Ukrainian soldiers because he liked to dress up in embroidered clothes. This was the starting point for the visual concept of the book. We took a very geometric embroidery scheme, which grows with each section, revealing more and more of the portrait of the Vyshyvanyi. The perforated pages allude to the Ukrainian vytynanka (paper cut ornament)".
