After several years of work, the publication “Bread. Ukraine. Almanac” has been released in Ukraine — a bilingual informational and historical art book dedicated to Ukrainian bread, its role in history, culture, everyday life and the modern food industry.
At the heart of the publication is an attempt to show that the concept of Ukrainian bread is much broader than the familiar product on the everyday table. For some, it is the taste of childhood and a family recipe; for others, it is palianytsia, regional baked goods or bread from a local bakery. At the same time, behind these familiar images stand the history of the development of agriculture, milling and breadmaking, folk traditions and the modern large-scale food industry.
The almanac traces how bread accompanied Ukraine and Ukrainians through different historical periods. It was preserved in family memory and rituals, became an image in cinema, poetry, photography and other forms of art, and with the development of industry turned into an important part of a large production complex.
A special place in the publication is devoted to the dramatic pages of Ukrainian history. The authors address the tragedy of the Holodomor, during which bread became a symbol of the very right of a person to life. It acquired a new symbolic meaning after the beginning of the full-scale war. One of the best-known examples was the word “palianytsia,” which in 2022 became a distinctive linguistic marker of Ukrainian identity.
At the same time, “Bread. Ukraine. Almanac” tells not only about the past. Considerable attention is paid to modern breadmaking, artisanal technologies, regional traditions and the development of the industry. In the book, bread appears simultaneously as an everyday product, a cultural phenomenon, the result of the work of the agricultural and food sectors, and part of the country’s economic history.
At the same time, the authors do not attempt to give a single definition to the concept of “Ukrainian bread.” The book is structured as a collection of different stories, each of which reveals a separate part of this topic — from old mills and family recipes to industrial bakeries, modern technologies and the artistic interpretation of bread.
This approach leaves the reader room for further exploration of the topic: after one piece, one can turn to an old Ukrainian film; after another, one can study regional baked goods, the history of milling, traditional technologies or modern Ukrainian breadmaking in greater detail.
“Bread. Ukraine. Almanac” has been prepared in Ukrainian and English, and is therefore intended not only for a Ukrainian but also for an international audience. The publication can be used as a presentation book about Ukraine, its history, gastronomic culture and one of the country’s most important industries.
The almanac is designed as a modern collectible art book. A distinctive color palette, unconventional layout, archival and contemporary visual materials create a separate visual language for the publication and emphasize its gift-book character.
The premiere of the almanac took place during Baking Awards 2026. The publication was presented by Yurii Duchenko, President of the All-Ukrainian Association of Bakers, and Rodion Rybchynskyi, Director of the “Flour Millers of Ukraine” Union.
The print run of “Bread. Ukraine. Almanac” is limited. Detailed information about the publication and the possibility of ordering it are available on the official “Bread. Ukraine” website.
The partners of the “Bread. Ukraine. Almanac” edition were the All-Ukrainian Association of Bakers and the “Flour Millers of Ukraine” Union. The industry organizations unite enterprises of Ukraine’s breadmaking and flour-milling industries and work to develop the domestic market, increase the competitiveness of Ukrainian products and expand their presence abroad. Among their areas of activity are strengthening Ukraine’s export potential, promoting Ukrainian flour, bakery products and other grain-processing products in foreign markets, developing international contacts and facilitating the participation of Ukrainian producers in specialized international events.
The Italian city of Trento will host the Ukro-2025 festival of Ukrainian culture on September 28, UkrInform reports with reference to the Ukrainian Newspaper in Italy.
The event will take place at the Trentino Music Arena in San Vincenzo with the support of the Trento City Council and will be held in parallel with Oktoberfest, uniting cultural traditions of Central Europe and Ukraine.
The festival, founded in Milan in 2015, is being held for the seventh time. Previously Ukro was hosted by the cities of Milan, Bergamo, Brescia, Padua, Venice and Bologna.
The program includes concerts by Ukrainian performers, dance and theater groups, craft fair, gastronomic presentations, master classes and charity initiatives. A special element will be the collective artwork DIM-UKRO, created by hundreds of participants.
The organizers expect more than two thousand visitors and emphasize that the festival not only popularizes Ukrainian culture, but also promotes intergenerational dialogue and support for the diaspora.
