Ostap Bilyk

Ostap Bilyk is a Kyiv-born journalist whose reporting on the Donbas war for The Kyiv Independent has been translated into eight languages. Over the last decade, he has transitioned from investigative newsprint to long-form historical writing, focusing on the complex lives of Eastern European political figures.

His debut biography, The Bunker Selfie, explores the modern realities of leadership under siege. Bilyk utilizes his extensive archives of personal interviews and field notes to craft intimate, thoroughly researched portraits of contemporary regional leaders.

He currently lives in Kyiv, where he continues his journalism work and spends his free time hiking in the Carpathian Mountains.