"Books to the Front" wins
the 2025 Chytomo Award

The award’s professional jury highlighted the project’s remarkable scale and unwavering, systematic approach. Over three years of continuous work, the Books to the Front team has delivered more than 53,000 books directly to the combat zone. In the trenches, books have become far more than a form of recreation. They are an effective means of relieving psychological strain, supporting mental well-being, and preserving service members’ connection with civilian cultural life.

The project team did not stop at celebrating its achievement and immediately turned the prize money into practical support. In partnership with Nash Format Publishing, the entire Chytomo Award cash prize was used to purchase and print essential specialist literature. A total of 580 copies of Charles Hoge’s Once a Warrior — Always a Warrior, an essential guide to adapting to combat experience and maintaining psychological resilience, were purchased for troops on the front line. In addition to the printed copies, Nash Format provided 500 free promotional codes for the book’s digital edition in its mobile application, allowing it to reach even more defenders in combat zones.

At the same time, Cultural Forces is expanding its international presence and bringing the voices of Ukrainian service members to a global audience. For the first time, the international community was introduced to an exclusive English-language catalog, Ukrainian Writers on the Frontline. This unique publication features 30 acclaimed and emerging Ukrainian writers who left their writing desks for the trenches and are now defending their country in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The catalog presents 30 notable books across a wide range of genres — from searing frontline poetry to profound dark fantasy. Together, they represent some of the finest contemporary Ukrainian literature born amid the realities of war. The catalog’s central mission is to show the world the people behind Ukraine’s Armed Forces and the extraordinary intellectual and creative talent within their ranks.