Ukrainian Literature

“1918: City of Hope” by Maksym Butchenko is a dynamic historical novel that immerses readers in the turbulent atmosphere of Kyiv during the Ukrainian Revolution.

This is a poignant yet ironic family saga that spans the lives of several generations of a single family against the backdrop of Ukrainian history (from the Soviet era to the start of the war in Donbas). At its heart is the figure of an indomitable grandmother who serves as the “foundation” of the family.

This is an epic historical saga that traces the dramatic events of the 20th century through the lens of one Ukrainian family’s story. At the heart of the narrative is the quest to find one’s place in a world where ideologies and wars threaten to erase individual identity.

This is a contemporary urban novel about the intertwining of people’s lives in a big city. At the heart of the story are the lives of ordinary Kyiv residents, their search for happiness, their disappointments, chance encounters, and their attempts to find their place in the capital.

“Rebels: New Women and the Modern Nation” is a popular science publication (a collection of essays) compiled by a group of literary scholars that explores the phenomenon of the first Ukrainian feminists and intellectuals.

This is a brilliant intellectual provocation and an ironic “anti-guide” to life. Using the metaphor of a chess game, the author dissects Ukrainian society, culture, and human folly, spicing it all up with his signature mix of standard Ukrainian and Russian and dark humor.

Dmytro Bilyi’s *The Path of the Silver Hawk* is an adventure historical fantasy that continues the journey through the Scythian world begun in *The Adventures of the Scythian Atey*.

This is a collection of funny, touching, and completely true stories about everyday life at NASA. At the center of it all is the author—a former journalist who now works as a space camera operator—and his incredible partner, Francesca.

Oleksa Bilobrov’s *On the Edge of the Possible* is a fast-paced adventure novel that plunges its characters into a whirlwind of extreme challenges.

This is a fictionalized documentary account of the life of one of the most prominent figures of the 1960s—the poet, actor, and director Mykola Vingranovsky. The book paints a portrait of the artist not as a monument, but as a living, passionate, and controversial individual.

Dmytro Bilyi’s *The Volunteer* is a gripping historical novel in which history intertwines with mysticism, and modern warfare with the ancient forces of the steppe.

This is a warm, ironic, and truly “feminine” story (in the best sense of the word), set against the backdrop of modern-day Kyiv. The main character is a mature, intelligent woman who is going through a personal crisis but hasn’t lost her sense of humor or her belief in miracles.

Anna Bilenka’s *A Black Bird Flew Across the Sky* is a psychological drama novel with elements of mysticism, in which family secrets intertwine with the tragic history of Ukraine.

Vladimir Bazilevsky’s *Vertep* is an intellectual and philosophical novel-essay in which the author uses the metaphor of traditional theater to reflect on Ukraine’s dramatic fate.

This is a story about World War II, as seen through the eyes of Bruno, a nine-year-old German boy and the son of a concentration camp commandant. Unaware of the horrors unfolding around him, he strikes up a forbidden friendship with Shmuel, a Jewish boy living behind the barbed wire.