Astrolabe Publishing

Astrolabe Publishing (Ukrainian: Видавництво «Астролябія») is a Ukrainian book publishing house based in Lviv. It was founded on 15 September 2000 on the initiative of Oleh Feshovets, then deputy dean of the Faculty of Philosophy at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, together with the 'Philosophical Project' Charitable Foundation as the second founder. The house began with humanities literature aimed at the university environment, but gradually shifted toward the free market, publishing fiction, poetry, and books on philosophy, psychology, history, religion, political science, law, economics, art, health, and personal development. A central part of its identity is the preparation of translations and editions of the classical world heritage. It has published Ukrainian translations of works by authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien, Alfred Szklarski, Miguel de Unamuno, Karel Čapek, Janusz Głowacki, Friedrich Nietzsche, Gilles Deleuze, and José Ortega y Gasset. The publisher is especially proud of having issued most of Tolkien's works in Ukrainian, a goal set at its founding, and it is described as an exclusive publisher of Tolkien in Ukraine. It also runs notable series including the 'Ukrainian Philosophical Library', 'New University', and 'Midgard', the latter devoted to medieval literature such as Beowulf and Carmina Burana. In recent years the house has expanded into military and security-related publishing. Its 'Commander's Library' series offers classic and modern works on the history of military art, strategy, and tactics, as well as army manuals for officers, sergeants, and soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. A notable joint project with the Swedish Armed Forces and the Lviv Institute of Military History produced a Ukrainian edition of the Swedish soldier's combat manual. The publisher also operates a reader club with discounts, a mobile app called Astrolabium offering print, e-book, and audiobook formats, and a program of used books sold at a permanent 50% discount. During the war it has continued to operate in a minimal-support mode.

Astrolabe Publishing was founded on 15 September 2000 in Lviv, Ukraine. The initiative came from Oleh Feshovets, who at the time served as deputy dean of the Faculty of Philosophy at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. The second founder was the 'Philosophical Project' Charitable Foundation. The publishing house was created primarily to implement the foundation's publishing programs. In its early years the publisher focused mainly on literature for the university environment in the humanities. However, as Ukrainian universities increasingly closed in on textbooks by their own authors and the school textbook system remained opaque, the house reoriented its publishing policy toward the needs of the free market. Over time it broadened its list to include fiction, poetry, and books on philosophy, psychology, history, religion, political science, law, economics, art, health, and personal development. A defining goal from the start was to prepare translations and editions of the classical world heritage. The publisher has stated that many important classical texts became available to Ukrainian readers through its efforts, and it later launched a program for contemporary European prose. A particular source of pride is its long and systematic work on the works of J. R. R. Tolkien: publishing Ukrainian translations of Tolkien's legacy was one of the house's goals at the founding stage, and the work continues. It is described as an exclusive publisher of Tolkien's works in Ukraine. The publisher has also made a significant contribution to Ukrainian culture by issuing medieval and early modern literature that had remained largely inaccessible, including new translations of 'The Song of...' (as referenced on its site) and, under the 'Midgard' series, works such as Beowulf and Carmina Burana. Other major series include the 'Ukrainian Philosophical Library', devoted to key philosophical works in Ukrainian, and 'New University', which publishes textbooks and auxiliary materials for Ukrainian universities. A newer project, carried out jointly with the Lviv Art Gallery, the Lviv Historical Museum, and the museum of the history of the Lviv Army Academy, is the Lviv military almanac 'Citadel', dedicated to the study of important military-political events that influenced culture, art, science, technology, and military affairs in Ukraine. The house also runs a 'Commander's Library' series of classic and modern works on military art, strategy, and tactics, and army manuals for Ukrainian service members. A notable joint project with the Swedish Armed Forces and the Lviv Institute of Military History produced a Ukrainian edition of the Swedish soldier's combat manual. The publisher operates a reader club with discounts up to 20%, a mobile app called Astrolabium offering print, e-books, and audiobooks, and a permanent 50% discount on 'used' books returned from stores. During the war it has continued to work in a minimal-support mode.

• Founded on 15 September 2000 in Lviv by Oleh Feshovets and the 'Philosophical Project' Charitable Foundation.

• Initially focused on humanities literature for the university environment.

• Reoriented publishing policy toward the free market and broadened its list.

• Launched the 'Ukrainian Philosophical Library' series.

• Launched the 'New University' series for Ukrainian universities.

• Launched the 'Midgard' series for medieval literature, including Beowulf and Carmina Burana.

• Became an exclusive publisher of J. R. R. Tolkien's works in Ukraine.

• Launched the 'Commander's Library' series of military literature.

• Joint project with the Swedish Armed Forces and the Lviv Institute of Military History to publish a Ukrainian edition of the Swedish soldier's combat manual.

• Launched the Astrolabium mobile app offering print, e-books, and audiobooks.

• New project with the Lviv Art Gallery, Lviv Historical Museum, and the museum of the history of the Lviv Army Academy to publish the 'Citadel' military almanac.

A Lviv-based Ukrainian publisher focused on high-quality translations of world classics, philosophy, and humanities, with a growing military and security list.

• Ukrainian translations of J. R. R. Tolkien's works

• Ukrainian Philosophical Library series

• New University series

• Midgard series (medieval literature)

• Commander's Library series (military literature)

• Citadel military almanac

• Astrolabium mobile app

• Used books at 50% discount

1. 1Видавництво Астролябія - українські книгиastrolabium.com.ua
2. 2Про нас - Видавництво Астролябіяastrolabium.com.ua
3. 3Astrolabe Publishing - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Астролябия (издательство) - Wikipediaru.wikipedia.org