Our being in the world has never depended so on the way other people would perceive us and our texts. What is the meaning today of being an ambassador of a country with ancient history and strong European cultural tradition which, however, isn’t so obviously ripe? Is translating Ukrainian literature in times of its reconsidering around the globe a mission or just a job to do? Which type of attention does it require? How do books we translate contribute to changes in ourselves? Are literature and translation capable of changing global historical processes?

The book Free Voices of Crimea is a collection of 16 features of politically imprisoned journalists who fought for human rights and freedom of speech on the occupied peninsula. This book’s protagonists are mostly Crimean Tatars: for this reason, their stories are accompanied by historical evidence that explains the reasons and origins of the constant resistance of the indigenous people of Crimea against Soviet and then Russian tyranny. The book also contains a documental part including selected letters, extracts from diaries and court speeches of the politically imprisoned journalists.

The language of love in wartime can be blurred by the translation of daily visitations. The words of gratitude and appreciation can be lost in separation and fatigue.
What serves as a catalyst for love in wartime? Where does dearness and affection, even in trenches under artillery fire, emerge from?
This is a literary and music performance about the light of support that prevents us from turning savage.
And about love that ‘requires us on a daily basis’.

How do foreign artists support Ukraine? What urges them to express solidarity and help Ukrainian culture in wartime? Why can’t they stand aside when it comes to Russian aggression against Ukrainian identity? Norwegian writers and journalists will provide details about the 3-year fellowship program for Ukrainian authors who document their experience of the war and talk about the relevance of Ukrainian voices in Scandinavian countries.

This is our way to commemorate Ihor Kozlovskyi, philosopher, religious scholar, poet, and civic activist who remained a free man even in Russian captivity. Ihor Kozlovskyi passed away over a year ago, but for hundreds of his students, their dialogue is still going on. Book Arsenal is to host the first presentation of a book monologue including Kozlovskyi’s interviews and lectures from different years. This book is a dedication, a tribute to love and gratitude to a person of a great heart and profound wisdom.

Ukraine and Lithuania share common history and a common enemy for many decades. They also fight a common fight for their agency and independence in the field of global politics, support each other in times of the most difficult visitations, and want to get mutually acquainted without any imperial intermediaries. But what do we Ukrainians really know about the culture of Lithuania? What should we know to make the ties between our countries even stronger? Laurinas Katkus, writer, translator, cultural manager, volunteer who has often visited Ukraine, and Tomas Ivanauskas, cultural affairs officer of Lithuania in Ukraine, will talk about these issues during the event.

This book could be called a collection of reportages about Ukrainian women who document Russian war crimes. It is also a diary, a collection of stories of those who had witnessed and survived the worst terrors of Russian aggression and occupation. At the same time, this book powerfully argues for the fact that the Russian war against Ukraine began much earlier than 2014 and that’s of the utmost importance to remember about Russian terror against Ukrainians in the 1930s and 1960s. This event will gather the protagonists of Victoria Amelina’s unfinished book to share love and memory, to testify and to continue the fight for justice.