In May, a significant event took place in London — the presentation of the Ukrainian military poetry project Zbyti Rymy (Broken Rhymes) and the book Letters of Love and War by soldier and poet Pavlo Matyusha and his wife Viktoriya Matyusha. The event brought together literary expression, a musical performance, and heartfelt, emotional testimony about the experiences of Ukrainian defenders.
This was shared in the event’s press release by Viktoriya Stepanets, a representative of the OVO literary agency.
As part of the event, performative readings were held, featuring letters from the book Letters of Love and War as well as poems by Ukrainian soldiers, including contributors to the musical-poetic project Broken Rhymes.
Broken Rhymes is a cultural and artistic project that blends poetry written by Ukrainian servicemen with music by contemporary performers. Its aim is to convey the voices of war through songs, poetry, and live performances. The project serves as a kind of wartime chronicle — emotional, authentic, and powerful. It is co-organised by the NGO Horizons Without Borders and the literary agency OVO.
Pavlo Matyusha’s book Letters of Love and War is based on real correspondence between a Ukrainian couple: Viktoriya Matyusha, who had to flee to France with their four children, and Pavlo, who, despite the chance to evacuate, chose to stay in Ukraine to defend his country. The book was presented in English for the first time at the event. It reveals the inner world of a soldier, where the horror of war coexists with a love that gives strength to endure. Letters of Love and War was published in February 2024 in France by l’Iconoclaste, and in early 2025, the international TV content producer and distributor Space Production acquired the rights to adapt it for the screen.
Performative readings of letters and poetry were presented by actress and theatre director Yevheniya Shymshyryan, poet and translator Matviy Smirnov, and actor Danylo Kamenskyy. The event featured poetry by Ukrainian soldiers Dmytro Lazutkin, Pavlo Matyusha, Olena Herasymyuk, Vitaliy Shuha, Ihor Mitrov, and Artur Dron in English translations by Matviy Smirnov and Daisy Gibbons. The evening was moderated by the art curator Viktoriya Stepanets.
Nikita Titov is the author of the illustration for the project Broken Rhymes.
The event took place as part of the Ukrainian festival Spring Fest, organised by the University of Greenwich and the Woolwich Works cultural centre in London.