When dreams return from war: how veteran Andrij Kaspshyshak is developing a publishing house 

“During the war, you very quickly start asking yourself questions that you simply never had time for before,” says veteran Andrij Kaspshyshak from Lviv.

For him, as for many veterans, returning to civilian life was not only about going back to work or familiar routines. It became a search for answers – what he truly wanted to do, and what he wanted to leave behind.

The answer came through stories. First through his own book, and later through the idea of creating a publishing house called ‘Mriyelov’ (‘Dream Catcher’), together with his wife Natalkа.

Today, Mriyelov creates modern Ukrainian content for children and teenagers, works with authors and illustrators, promotes Ukrainian culture and revives mythological traditions, and develops new book projects. But for Andrij, this work means much more, it became a way to return to his own dream, a journey supported by the EU4Youth programme, which helped the publishing house receive support for further expansion.

From a stable career to a rethinking of life

Before the full-scale invasion, Andrij and his wife worked as financial auditors in an international company. Life seemed to follow a clear script – career, development, plans for the future.

But in 2022, everything changed.

“On the first day of the full-scale invasion, I, like many other Ukrainians, left my job and went to the military recruitment office. At that moment, everything that previously felt important – career, professional plans, stability – suddenly moved to the background,” recalls Andrij.

During his service, he increasingly returned in his thoughts to his childhood.

“I realised that I had once made a compromise with myself. Behind a prestigious job and stability, I left what I truly loved. And as a child, I constantly made up stories and dreamed of becoming a writer.”

He then made a promise to himself, that if he survived, he would definitely start writing.

How the idea of ‘Mriyelov’ emerged

After returning, Andrij wrote his first book. It was a fantasy story dedicated to the memory of his fallen friends.

At first, he did not think about creating a publishing house. It was only about publishing a book.

“My wife Natalkа suggested: why don’t we do it ourselves? And from that one story, the idea of creating a whole storytelling workshop gradually emerged.”

The name was also chosen with meaning.

“For us, ‘Mriyelov’ is a reminder that life should not be postponed. Because tomorrow may not come, and you may never live the life you once dreamed of.

“We want people to dream not only about fictional foreign worlds, but to discover Ukrainian stories, mythology, and culture. So that Ukrainian culture becomes part of the global culture of dreams,” says Andrij.

When an idea begins to grow

After launching the publishing house, it became clear that development requires not only creativity, but also new tools, knowledge, and a systematic business approach.

The next stage was supported by ‘Smart Media’ and ‘Action Times’, which implemented the EU-funded project, ‘EU4Youth Phase III – Supporting Young Veterans and Internally Displaced Persons in Ukraine’.

Within the programme, Andrij completed business training, and the publishing house received the opportunity to strengthen its technical capacity.

As a result, the team was able to purchase modern equipment for illustration, book layout, video editing, and digital content production. This not only improved the quality of work but also allowed part of the resources to be redirected towards new publishing projects.

One of the outcomes was the expansion of the publishing portfolio, with Viktoriia Zadorska’s book Kosmotato, which was shortlisted for the BBC Book of the Year 2025 award by BBC News Ukraine.

“When you start from a dream, it is important to meet people who help you move forward. Such programmes provide not only resources or knowledge – they give confidence that you are moving in the right direction,” says Andrij.

“The story of Andrij shows that supporting veteran entrepreneurship is important not only at the launch stage, but also when the business begins to grow and look for new opportunities. ‘Mriyelov’ creates not just books – it forms a modern Ukrainian cultural product with the potential to influence future generations,” notes Oleksandra Shchukina, leader of ‘Smart Media’.

A world that is just beginning

For Andrij, Mriyelov has long become something more than just a business. In the future, the team plans to develop audiobooks, podcasts, animation, and other multimedia storytelling formats.

“We believe that every story told can change the world. That is why we create books that inspire children to dream, believe in themselves, and love their culture,” says the veteran.

For Andrij, it is also a way to fulfil a promise he once made to himself – to start living the life he truly wanted to live.