On 13 March, a meeting with the renowned Ukrainian poet, winner of the Taras Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine, and member of Ukrainian PEN, Dmytro Lazutkin, took place at the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine as part of a meeting of the Book Club of the Ukrainian Diplomats’ Spouses Association. The project was founded on the initiative of the spouse of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, head and co-founder of the Association, Mrs Tetiana Sybiha.

The event brought together representatives of foreign diplomatic missions, spouses of diplomats, Academy staff, and representatives of the International Women’s Club of Kyiv to discuss the role of literature in times of war and the importance of cultural diplomacy in conveying the Ukrainian experience to the world.

The event was moderated by Dr Maryna Hrymych, Professor of History and coordinator of the Association’s Book Club.

Director Ihor Ostash addressed the participants with a welcoming speech, emphasising that “the Ukrainian word is our weapon today, for we are fighting not only on the battlefield but also in the realm of culture”.

During the meeting, Dmytro Lazutkin shared his own experiences of serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the Melitopol and Avdiivka fronts as part of the 47th Separate Mechanised Brigade and the 59th Separate Motorised Infantry Brigade, and spoke about how the war had influenced his creative work.

The poet noted that it is important for him to write about the war as honestly as possible and without artistic embellishment:

‘I don’t play with words when I write about the war. I simply write what I feel.’

Participants had the opportunity to hear the author read his new poems and his most famous works written during the hostilities, including pieces recounting the experiences of Ukrainian soldiers, memories of fallen comrades, and the inner turmoil of a person at war.

Particular attention was paid to the theme of war testimony in literature and the role of personal stories in shaping historical memory.

“Everyone has their own perspective on war: a journalist who arrives for a few days, a soldier who lives on the front line for months, or someone reading the news in Kyiv. But every voice is important – this is our memory and our history,” the poet emphasised.

The event concluded with an open discussion, during which attendees discussed the translation of contemporary Ukrainian poetry into foreign languages and the prospects for its dissemination worldwide as an important tool of cultural diplomacy.