Message To Putin? Zelenskyy's Pick Of 'To Kill A Tyrant' At Kyiv Book Fair Sparks Buzz
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The book's full title, "To Kill a Tyrant: A History of Tyrannicide from Caesar to Gaddafi," explores historical examples of the killing of dictators
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife, Olena, on Friday caught attention during a visit to a literary fair in Kyiv — not just for their presence, but for the book they took home.
Among several titles the couple picked up at the 13th annual Book Arsenal fair was ' To Kill a Tyrant" by Italian academic Aldo Andrea Cassi. The book's full title, ' To Kill a Tyrant: A History of Tyrannicide from Caesar to Gaddafi," explores historical examples of the killing of dictators and raises the question: 'Is it right or wrong to kill a tyrant? And if it is, who decides?"
Zelenskyy chose the Ukrainian-language version of the book. While he did not say whether the purchase was meant to send a message, the symbolism has not gone unnoticed. He has repeatedly referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin as a dictator throughout the ongoing war, now in its third year.
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The Ukrainian President shared photos and a short video from the fair on his official social media accounts, including X. One photo showed Olena Zelenska browsing through a copy of ' To Kill a Tyrant," with Zelenskyy standing beside her.
In his post, Zelenskyy praised the fair and Ukraine's cultural resilience. 'Today, we visited the Book Arsenal together — now in its 13th year. And this speaks volumes about the resilience of Ukrainians and the strength of our culture," he wrote.
'Despite the full-scale war, the publishing industry continues to grow, the world hears our country, and our people are building connections with the world — and this is truly inspiring," he added.
He went on to list other titles they added to their home library, including ' From Father to Son" by Franco Nembrini, ' The Lyrics Of Mariupol Bomb Shelters" by Oksana Stomina, and ' The Twilight of an Empire: The Russo-Ukrainian War in the Eyes of a Historian" by Serhii Plokhy.
Zelenskyy thanked Ukrainian writers, publishers, and translators for their role in keeping the country's culture alive and relevant during wartime. 'We are grateful to everyone who develops publishing in Ukraine — the authors, the publishers, and the translators who open the world to Ukrainians and introduce Ukraine to the world through our books. We thank everyone who supports Ukrainian culture. It is important."
(With inputs from Reuters)
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Kyiv, Ukraine
First Published:
May 31, 2025, 07:02 IST
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