#13 Café Ukraїna: “Nothing will ever be the same again. Everything requires courage” Ukrainian Poetry in Times of War

Ukrainian poetry strikes to the core and makes us physically feel what it conveys. Today, however, Ukrainian poets are not only active in literature. Some are directly involved in aid efforts at the front line, risking their lives – some do not return.

Among them is the young, charismatic poet Victoria Amelina, whose most powerful poems will be presented.

Special focus is given to the works of Peace Prize laureate Serhiy Zhadan, written since the beginning of the war in 2014. After initially falling silent following the full-scale invasion, new poems by him were published in German in November 2024 under the title “Chronicle of One’s Own Breath.”

At the same time, the great expressive power of Ukrainian poetry becomes evident through the works of many other Ukrainian poets.

A moving combination of powerful, accusatory, or quietly reflective texts with electronically altered sounds and an almost bodiless, whispered voice.