Kitchen of Terror: How Empires Are Built — Witold Szabłowski (Ukr. Hardcover)

In Kitchen of Terror, Polish journalist Witold Szabłowski embarks on a gripping culinary journey across Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and other former Soviet republics to uncover how food shapes power. Through conversations with Kremlin cooks, war-time chefs, Chernobyl kitchen staff, and survivors of the Stalin-era Holodomor, Szabłowski reveals how meals and menus endorse manipulation, reflect authority, and become silent instruments of ideology.

By entering the kitchens behind political theater, the author unearths stories that go beyond flavors and utensils. This is where fear mixes with nourishment, loyalty with survival, and ingredients with propaganda. Whether prepared by a personal chef of a Soviet leader or served in communal canteens, food becomes the most pervasive medium—from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok, from elite palaces to rank-and-file mess halls.

Published in 2023 by Old Lion Publishing House, this Ukrainian hardcover spans 376 pages, measures 145 × 200 mm, and includes black-and-white illustrations, all brought to life with thoughtful design by Ivan Kypibida