The Life of Maria

During a war, it is easy to succumb to hatred, but it is important to seek understanding, even with loved ones. This is a key step towards ending the conflict. And for understanding, you need to communicate — with everyone, without limits, about anything at all, the main thing is not to lose humanity, love, and attention.
This is the very idea embodied in Serhiy Zhadan's poetry collection The Life of Maria. In it, he reflects on cherished memories and irreversible losses, on ruined cities and lost homes. Through rhymed lines, free verse, and his own and translated poems, Zhadan conducts a dialogue with a wide variety of addressees: from loved ones to strangers, from saints to ordinary people, from fallen heroes to those seeking refuge, from classics of world literature to us, the readers. His goal is to save, if not us, then at least our children.