Voroshilovgrad — Serhii Zhadan

The main character, 33-year-old Herman, receives a call: his brother, who ran an old gas station in the steppes of Donbas, has suddenly disappeared. Herman is forced to leave his comfortable city life behind and return to his hometown, which resembles an abandoned island frozen in time.

There he encounters raiders (“shepherds”) who want to take over his brother’s business. A task that seems simple at first glance—to settle things and head back—turns into a real struggle. Herman decides to stay to protect what belongs to him and his friends.

Key features of the book:

Atmosphere: Endless cornfields, abandoned airfields, dilapidated factories, and a scorching haze. Eastern Ukraine is portrayed here as a mystical space where the living coexist with the ghosts of the past.

Brotherhood and Solidarity: This is a novel about male friendship, about strange but loyal people (such as the mechanics Traumatized and Kocha) who stick together when the whole world around them is falling apart.

Magical Realism: Everyday life in Zhadan’s work is constantly intertwined with the fantastical. Soccer with the Roma, jazz concerts in the steppe, and conversations about eternity make the book feel like a magical dream.

Fighting for what’s yours: The central idea is that your “territory” isn’t just land or a business—it’s your memory, your friends, and your responsibility.