This week, writer Andriy Lyubka and military officer Yuliya Payevska (Tayra) are going on a tour of cities in the Netherlands. During a series of meetings, they will talk about the war against Ukraine, the work of writers during the war, and experiences that change not only individuals but also nations.
Yuliya Payevska (Tayra) is a military officer, paramedic, social activist, volunteer, and officer of the National Guard of Ukraine's ‘Khartiya’ corps. She participated in the Revolution of Dignity and the war in eastern Ukraine. In 2022, during the defence of Mariupol, she was taken prisoner by the Russians and spent three months in captivity. In the Netherlands, the author will present her debut collection of poems, Live. It deals with war, captivity, torture, and the hospital in the fire and blood of Mariupol. The living and the dead. These are texts written between the evacuation of the wounded, love and torture chambers, and flights between continents. Poetry that does not ask for sympathy. It is the spirit of the age.
Andriy Lyubka is a poet, prose writer, and translator. He is the author of more than a dozen books. He is a laureate of the Yuriy Shevelyov and Joseph Conrad-Korzenowski awards. Since the start of the full-scale war, he has been an active volunteer: more than 30 trips to the east, more than 360 cars for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He has been awarded medals from the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Minister of Defence of Ukraine.
During his presentations, the author will present his latest book, War from the Rear, about the war from behind, from the rear; about trips to the front, volunteering, and the daily challenges of civilian life. Rich in detail, interesting stories and descriptions of real adventures, this book creates a panoramic picture of life in Ukraine during the war. Non-fiction about a writer who suddenly becomes a volunteer and supplies jeeps to the Ukrainian army. Schedule of events in five cities in the Netherlands:
06.07.2025 | 16:00 | Groningen | Cafe Ballerz vergaderzaal, Blauwborgje 16, 9747 AC Groningen
07.07.2025 | 18:30 | Zwolle | Stationsplein 3, 8011 CW Zwolle
09.07.2025 | 18:30 | Amsterdam | Goethe-Institut Amsterdam, Herengracht 470, 1017 CA Amsterdam
10.07.2025 | 19:00 | Rotterdam | Centrale Bibliotheek, Hoogstraat 110, 3011 MA Rotterdam
11 July 2025 | 6 p.m. | The Hague | Embassy of Ukraine in the Netherlands, Zeestraat, 78, 2518 AD The Hague
The events will be moderated by Yevheniya Lopata, Ukrainian cultural manager, translator, promoter of Ukrainian literature in Europe, and CEO of Meridian Czernowitz. The events will be held in Ukrainian and English.
The authors will read their texts in the original Ukrainian, and Dutch translations will be available to all attendees. Admission to the tour events is free.
You can register here.
The project ‘Strengthening the Voice of Ukraine in the Netherlands’ is being implemented in cooperation between the Meridian Czernowitz International Literary Corporation and the Ukrainian Institute in the Netherlands. Ukrainian Institute.
The project is supported by the European Union under the House of Europe programme.