Dear colleagues,

The year 2022 that passed was, without a doubt, the most difficult and dramatic one in the history of modern Ukraine. The country underwent attacks not only on the battlefields, but also on its civilian infrastructure, water and power supplies, resulting in the loss of many lives, inflicting huge migration and immigration waves, and imposing heavy mental pressure on all of its population. Is it possible, and is it sensible to do science in such a situation? Our confident answer is “yes”, and for a couple of reasons. Firstly, scientists contribute to the all-nation defense in their unique way, by helping in solving current problems in: physics and chemistry of new materials and cleaning technologies, aerodynamics and ballistics, as well as in the various applications of the IT technology. Secondly, if there is no science and art in the future, then the question “what people are fighting for?”, attributed to W. Churchill, becomes really topical. At stake is nothing less than a survival and a future rise of the country in a form of normally functioning institution, covering all the relevant aspects and attributes: from the infrastructure and economics all the way to the highly synthetic human activities.

Many would imagine that a small-scale journal like ours would not survive in the turbulent times of today. However, despite all the difficulties in financing, intermittent electricity supply, and regular air raid alarms, we, in Condensed Matter Physics journal, continued to work and compiled four issues with the research from all over the world in 2022. This was achieved with a big help from you all, our colleagues and partners all over the world. During this year we, as never before, felt this support and are eternally grateful for that.

We do not ask for financial aid, but, you can strongly support our science, our journal, and those Ukrainian scientists who remain in Ukraine, by submitting your research papers to our journal in 2023. Please do so, to ensure the continuity of our scientific traditions and our precious collaboration network!

About the news for 2023. We plan two special issues, both on occasion of 60th birthdays of prominent scientists and fruitful authors of CMP: Bertrand Berche, Professor of the Universite de Lorraine, Nancy, France, a leading expert in phase transitions and magnetic systems, and of Taras Bryk, the director of the Institute for Condensed Matter Physics, the leading Ukrainian expert in computer simulations. Two remaining issues will be the regular ones.

We wish all of you a fruitful and war-free year 2023!

Your CMP Editorial team.