At the Fleet Officers’ House shelter in Mykolaiv, the IV “Meridian Mykolaiv” poetry readings took place on October 31 and November 1. The program brought together performances by more than a dozen Ukrainian writers, military personnel, and cultural figures, giving residents a chance to meet them in person.
The event was organized by the international literary corporation Meridian Czernowitz. Since 2023, it has regularly held cultural events in Ukraine’s frontline regions.
The October 31 program combined satirical essays with discussions about books, music, and playwriting:
- Writer Oleksandr Boychenko read his satirical essays.
- Marichka Paplauskaite spoke about writing a book about Ukrzaliznytsia.
- Military serviceman and writer Artem Chekh discussed how music affects the creative process during wartime.
- Playwright Natalka Vorozhbyt presented her debut collection of plays.
- Ihor Pomerantsev dedicated his event to wine culture and his book “Red Wine, Dry — That’s Me”.
The readings on November 1 began with a tribute to a poet and service member killed in action and concluded with a musical performance. The day’s events included:
- The day opened with a reading of poems by the late poet and service member Hlib Babich, with his family in attendance.
- Servicewoman and paramedic Yuliia Paievska (Taira) read pieces from her forthcoming book and discussed her collection “Live” with the audience.
- Yurii Andrukhovych presented excerpts from his novel “Lovers of Justice” and announced upcoming publications.
- Lyubko Deresh presented psychological fiction about the traumas of war, “Medusa’s Gaze: A Little Book of Darkness”.
- The festival concluded with a concert by the Kharkiv duo “Chystyi Chetver”, made up of Marian Pyrozhok and Yelyzaveta Mazur.
The festival supported the cultural life of frontline Mykolaiv: residents not only listened to literary works but also had the opportunity to meet their authors in person.
Source: Mykolaiv City Council.
We wrote earlier:
- “You won’t get me”: a mystery meeting with a Ukrainian writer to take place in the Korabelnyi district
- Poet from Mykolaiv’s Korabelnyi district Natalia Prostіakova presents her poetry collection
- Month of Author Readings: in July, Lviv will host Central Europe’s largest cross-border literary festival
- “Love, loyalty, and life” — a meeting with poet Hanna Korol held in the Korabelnyi district
- “What are words, after all?” A meeting with local young amateur poets held in the Korabelnyi district
