Ukrainian designers Oleksandra Korchevska-Tsekhosh and Oleksii Chekal were selected as speakers for the programme of the international ATypI conference in Sharjah (UAE). However, they have withdrawn from participation because Russian national Alexandra Korolkova was admitted to the event, and—together with the Ukrainian design community—are collecting signatures for a petition calling for her removal. Oleksandra Korchevska reported this.
As stated in an open letter to the ATypI Board of Directors, Korolkova currently serves as art director of ParaType and is its co-owner, holding a 5% share of the authorised capital.
In 2022, ParaType director Anna Yakupova publicly supported the annexation of occupied Ukrainian territories.
“Korolkova remained in her post. And in October 2026 she is a speaker at the international ATypI Sharjah 2026,” Korchevska adds in her post.
According to the letter, in 2016 the Monotype corporation refused to license the Times New Roman typeface to the Russian developer Astra Linux due to US sanctions. Instead, Astra Linux commissioned a replacement from ParaType. Under the agreement, Korolkova and Izabella Chaieva developed the typefaces PT Astra Sans and PT Astra Serif.
The Astra Linux Special Edition operating system received certification for FSB systems and for military authorities that process restricted-access information.
“This is the operating system of the Russian army and special services, and the typefaces for it were made so that sanctions would not prevent it from operating,” Korchevska notes.
The letter also refers to ATypI’s Code of Conduct and to a speech by ATypI President Nada Abdalla at Stanford in 2026, when she stated that “type is not neutral” and is connected to people, cultures and the future.
The authors stress that Russia’s war against Ukraine has significantly limited Ukrainian designers’ ability to work, conduct research, publish, preserve cultural heritage, travel and take part in international life.
They recalled that on 15 June 2026, as a result of a Russian attack, the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra was damaged, including the Museum of Books and Printing of Ukraine, where Chekal works. Korchevska-Tsekhosh has also repeatedly worked under the threat of Russian missile attacks.
The letter demands:
- to review Korolkova’s participation in the conference or suspend it and her promotion while the case is being considered;
- to examine the attached evidence and give Korolkova an opportunity to respond to it;
- to confirm receipt of the letter within seven days, identify the body responsible for its consideration, and provide a reasoned written outcome by 25 September 2026—around a month before the conference;
- to ensure that concerns about social media comments are considered separately and do not replace consideration of the documentary evidence presented in the letter;
- to develop a transparent ethical assessment mechanism for future cases involving documented professional collaboration with military, security, occupation or propaganda infrastructures, or with state infrastructure that is under sanctions.
About the international ATypI conference (Association Typographique Internationale):
- an annual conference showcasing ideas and research in the field of typography and type design;
- held since 1957;
- this year it will take place from 28 to 31 October at the University of Sharjah (United Arab Emirates) to explore the conference’s central theme, “Between: Tradition – Transition – Transformation”;
- the programme includes, among other things, talks, panel discussions, workshops and exhibitions.