Courage – Made in Ukraine” Debate at the XVI KROKODIL Festival

17 Jul Courage – Made in Ukraine” Debate at the XVI KROKODIL Festival

For the third consecutive year, KROKODIL has focused on the widespread Russian invasion of Ukraine and the lives of people there. This year, at the XVI KROKODIL Festival, we dedicated the entire program to Ukraine through conversations, debates, presentations of writers in exile, and exhibitions of photographs from the third humanitarian mission for the endangered citizens of Kherson. One of the discussions titled “Courage – Made in Ukraine” took place on the third day within the debate zone, featuring Ukrainian writer Andriy Lyubka, Ukrainian writer and poetess Larisa Lebedivna, who stayed at KROKODIL’s writers’ house in Belgrade, and poetess Monika Herceg. The conversation was moderated by journalist and writer Andrej Ivanji.

Before the debate began, Andriy Lyubka read his essay “The War in Ukraine: We Have All Died a Little” in which he presented his view on the war and how, from his perspective, it began. Larisa Lebedivna and Monika Herceg then joined the discussion. The participants discussed the wartime circumstances faced by Ukrainian authors, how this dire situation affects their writing, creativity, and life in general. Larisa Lebedivna and Andriy Lyubka shared their experiences of the wartime conditions they encounter. This harsh situation is changing not only their lives but also their writing and creativity. They discussed how Ukrainian authors are coping with Russian aggression, what their lives look like, and how these circumstances are altering their creative work, lives, and families. The debate allowed us to hear firsthand from Ukrainian authors about what life in the war-torn eastern part of their country is like. Ukrainians are resisting not only with weapons but also with language and culture against the powerful Russian aggression.