Knyhospilka

Knyhospilka [Книгоспілка; aka Ukrainian Co-operative Publishing Association (Українська кооперативна видавнича спілка; Ukrainska kooperatyvna vydavnycha spilka)]. The largest book publishing and distributing firm in Soviet Ukraine in the 1920s. Organized in Kyiv in 1918 under the direction of M. Stasiuk, it published literary works, scientific books, and school textbooks. It was closed in 1920 when the Bolsheviks occupied Ukraine, and was reopened in November 1922 with the head office in Kharkiv and branch offices in Kyiv and Odesa. Its chief managers were M. Ahuf, Serhii Pylypenko, and V. Tsellarius. By the end of 1924 branches were established also in Vinnytsia, Uman, Sumy, and Zhytomyr. The main publications in this period were Literaturna biblioteka (Literary Library), a series of classics of the Ukrainian literature; Svitova literatura (World Literature), a translation series including the works of Honoré de Balzac, Anatole France, and Guy de Maupassant; an academic edition of Lesia Ukrainka’s and Mykhailo Kotsiubynsky’s works; school textbooks; practical manuals for farmers; booklets on co-operation; and a music library edited by Lev Revutsky. The firm also published book magazines such as Knyha and Kooperatyvnyi knyhar. Its book output rose rapidly from 26 titles (229,000 copies) in 1923 to 534 titles (5,350,000 copies) in 1926–7. Ninety to 95 percent of the books were published in Ukrainian. In 1931 Knyhospilka was abolished by the authorities as part of the campaign to suppress Ukrainian culture.

Sofiia Yaniv

[This article originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 2 (1988).]