Graphic works of "Abetka" Kyiv

A series of works created within the framework of the international project "Jerusalem - Kyiv. From A to Z" and "Jerusalem - Odesa. From A to Z"

The project was initiated by the Embassy of the State of Israel in Ukraine, the Israeli Cultural Center "Nativ", the Honorary Consulate of the State of Israel in the Western Region of Ukraine (Oleg Vishnyakov), the Museum of the History of the City of Kyiv and its branch "Museum of the Avant-Garde".

The artistic part of the Ukrainian exposition belongs to Wanda Orlova - a Ukrainian artist.

My task is to create an illustration of a significant place in Kyiv, Odessa for each Ukrainian letter. 

The series "Alphabet of Kyiv" was presented at the Museum of the History of Kyiv from August 5 to September 7, 2025

About fonts for the series of illustrations of Kyiv

About fonts that became the voice of my Kyiv alphabet

When I set out to create the digital alphabet of Kyiv in the international project “Jerusalem — Kyiv. From A to Z”, I understood: each letter should not just be a sign — but a carrier of history, culture, emotions.

Therefore, the choice of fonts became a special mission for me.

As the main font, I chose Ukrainian Izhitsa — a decorative, multi-layered one that combines the Ukrainian, Latin alphabets, and Old Slavonic symbols. It was born from the semi-statute of the late 19th century, and its inspiration was the Cyrillic alphabet of 1982. This font does not just write letters. It tells ancient legends through each bend.

Interestingly, the letter “Е” here sometimes looks like “Е” — and this is not a mistake, but a deliberate stylistic game that takes us back to the times of Old Slavonic manuscripts. Back then, the letters had different shapes, and the font wanted to show this — like a visual bridge between the past and the present. In Ukrainian Izhitsa, I saw exactly what the project needed: cultural continuity, uniqueness, artistic depth. It is like a separate voice in the symphony of the city, adding character and soul to the letters.

But it was only one of three voices.

In parallel, I used Yakutovych Regular and Lazov — Old Slavic fonts that add a palette of emotions and styles. It’s like three different melodies that intertwine in the great orchestra of Kyiv — from restrained monumentality to festive decorativeness and meditative archaism. Using three fonts is a conscious artistic gesture. I didn’t want my letters to be monotonous, like one voice in a choir. I wanted them to sound lively, multifaceted, like the city itself — full of cultural layers, historical narratives, and constant transformations.

Thus, fonts became not just typography, but part of a visual narrative — the history of Kyiv, written in form and style.

This choice is my small tribute to the city, its centuries-old heritage, and to everyone who is ready to see the depth of meaning in a simple sign.