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New Statesman
4 days ago
- General
- New Statesman
I am once again woken up by the unpleasant buzzing of Russian drones
Photo by Sergey Bobok / AFP via Getty Images W hen I am staying at our house in the country, the feel of each day depends on the first sound I hear – the sound that wakes me up. Two turtle doves are nesting in our garden and the most beautiful thing is to wake up to their gentle call. Sometimes other birds beat the doves and it is their songs which greet my ears as I open my eyes. They also reassure me that the new day will be calm, not dangerous. Too often, however, the morning begins with other sounds. Two days ago I woke up at 3am and listened. I always follow the same procedure when I find myself awake in the middle of the night. First, I check the time, then look on the internet to see what is happening in the sky above Ukraine. Each night sees an invasion of Russian drones and I was not surprised to learn that five minutes prior one had flown over our house, moving in the direction of Korostyshiv, a town located 30km from our village. That night, Russia launched more than 400 drones at Ukraine. They all fell somewhere – either hitting their target or tumbling out of the sky having been shot down by air-defence systems. But as the one that woke me up flew on towards Korostyshiv, I fell asleep again. After all, it was still dark outside and the birds in my garden were silent. I was woken up again by another drone at around 7am. I heard the familiar, unpleasant buzzing of an engine in the sky and I went out into the yard. The drone had already flown on. I could not see it, but the noise of its engine was still audible. Twenty minutes later I took a cup of coffee out into the yard and heard and saw the next one flying over our village school towards the nearest town. Strangely, visual contact with it calmed me. I saw it, but it did not see me. At that moment it was not moving towards me but flying away. The anti-tyranny playbook On Friday I went to Kyiv's largest literary festival, Book Arsenal. Security guards carefully checked the contents of bags and made everyone walk through metal detectors. No one was indignant. It's wartime. Every now and then, in cities far from the front line, grenades explode – often thoughtlessly brought home by soldiers on leave. Later it became clear that the thorough security check at the festival entrance was prompted by the visit of President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife. Surrounded by numerous security guards, they walked around the publishers' stands and picked up the book To Kill a Tyrant by the Italian writer and lawyer Aldo Andrea Cassi, which had just been released in Ukrainian. Publisher Anetta Antonenko, an old friend of mine, experienced one of the best moments of her professional life. No, I'm not talking about meeting Zelensky – his purchasing the book instantly turned it into a festival bestseller, and Antonenko twice had to order urgent deliveries of additional copies from the warehouse. The next day, the speaker of the Ukrainian parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk, attended Book Arsenal. In his comments to journalists he said he bought 50 books, but did not mention any titles so that his visit did not affect the commercial success of the Ukrainian publishers present. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe The hive mind On Sunday, I read the news about the operation against Russian strategic aviation in which Ukraine secretly planted a swarm of drones in Russia before unleashing them in a surprise attack on airfields across the country. I could not help thinking that beekeepers must have had something to do with the development of this plan! The comings and goings involved reminded me of how beekeepers move their hives, seeking territories for them to collect pollen that are remote from civilisation. Darkest before dawn This year, Ukrainian school graduates were again unable to experience the most romantic part of the traditional graduation celebration: greeting the dawn. Before the war, having received their school leaving certificates, graduates would dance a farewell waltz with their classmates and enjoy raucous parties until the small hours. They would then walk around their cities and towns waiting for daybreak, which they would greet at a location chosen for its beauty. This 'graduation dawn' witnessed in the company of classmates was the starting point of a new, already adult and independent life. Dawn at the end of May begins around 4am, but curfew is lifted only at five. So, for the fourth year running, there is no dawn for Ukrainian graduates. Alas. 'The Stolen Heart' by Andrey Kurkov is out now (Quercus) [See also: It's the nuance, stupid] Related This article appears in the 04 Jun 2025 issue of the New Statesman, The Housing Trap
News18
31-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
Message To Putin? Zelenskyy's Pick Of 'To Kill A Tyrant' At Kyiv Book Fair Sparks Buzz
Last Updated: 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. advetisement 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) About the Author News Desk Watch India Pakistan Breaking News on CNN-News18. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! Location : Kyiv, Ukraine First Published: May 31, 2025, 07:02 IST
NDTV
30-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
'To Kill A Tyrant': Zelensky's Pick At Book Fair Raises Eyebrows
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife browsed the stalls at a literary fair in Kyiv on Friday and left with some new reading material - a book entitled "To Kill A Tyrant." Zelensky, who has led his country throughout the three-year war with Russia, has repeatedly described Russian President Vladimir Putin as a dictator. He did not reveal if he intended, with his book purchase, to send a message to his Kremlin counterpart. #Watch | Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife, First Lady Olena, picked up some new reading material while browsing the Book Arsenal - a literary fair in Kyiv. One of the books purchased by the head of state was 'To Kill a Tyrant'. Zelensky, who has led his… — NDTV WORLD (@NDTVWORLD) May 30, 2025 He picked up the book, by Italian academic Aldo Andrea Cassi, in the Ukrainian-language version, according to a post about his visit to the book fair on his account on the social media platform Telegram. A photo he posted showed Zelenskiy's wife, Olena, thumbing through a copy of the book as her husband stood next to her. Zelenskiy said it was one of several titles he and his wife had picked up at the fair. The full title of the book is: "To Kill A Tyrant; A History Of Tyrannicide From Caesar To Gaddafi." It was published in Italian in 2022, and according to a summary released by the publisher of the Italian edition, it poses the question: "Is it right or wrong to kill a tyrant? And if it is, who decides?"
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Everything is translation' — 13th Book Arsenal festival in Kyiv to bridge gaps between language and war
The 13th Book Arsenal festival, one of Ukraine's premier interdisciplinary cultural events attracting voices from across the country and around the globe, will take place in Kyiv from May 29 to June 1. Over the course of four days, the festival offers a number of discussion panels, book presentations, public interviews, and even some film and musical performances that all relate to the theme of this year's festival. This year's program is curated by American historian Marci Shore and Ukrainian journalist Oksana Forostyna, who together have shaped the events of the festival around the theme 'Everything is Translation.' The theme invites both participants and attendees to explore the untranslatable — and to consider what the gaps in language reveal about the invisible boundaries between cultures, perspectives, and human experience, particularly in times of war. Each year, the festival's curators choose a theme that reflects the cultural climate. Last year's Book Arsenal, the first to take place since the start of the full-scale war, was centered around the theme 'Life on the Edge.' In the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2021 theme was 'Optimistis-Skeptics.' 'One of the most important tasks for the festival's team now is to create the safest and most inclusive festival space possible,' Yuliia Kozlovets, the director of Book Arsenal, told the Kyiv Independent. 'The theme of war is a cross-cutting one, when stands of military and volunteer initiatives are an organic part of the festival space. Because this is our Ukrainian contemporary culture, and this is our life today.' For this year's festival, the Kyiv Independent joins Book Arsenal as an official media partner, further underscoring its commitment to fostering critical dialogue and elevating Ukrainian voices on the world stage. Several of the Kyiv Independent's team members — editor-in-chief Olga Rudenko, chief executive officer Daryna Shevchenko, War Crimes Investigation Unit reporter Danylo Mokryk, and culture reporter Kate Tsurkan — will take part in panel discussions at this year's Book Arsenal festival. The full schedule for this year's Book Arsenal is available on the festival's website. While events featuring international speakers on the main stage will be held in English, most of the program will be conducted in Ukrainian. However, several Ukrainian publishers — including Ukraїner, Projector, Rodovid, IST Publishing, and #knygolove — will offer a selection of their books in English translation for purchase. Mystetskyi Arsenal's art books, which highlight Ukraine's artistic heritage, showcase prominent contemporary artists, and document experimental projects on key cultural movements, will also be available in bilingual Ukrainian-English editions. The official opening of this year's Book Arsenal festival is scheduled for 5 p.m. on May 29, but attendees can begin to enter the premises of Mystetskyi Arsenal, Kyiv's National Art and Culture Museum Complex, from 4 p.m. Tickets for the festival can be purchased online or at the ticket counter at Mystetskyi Arsenal – either 200 hryvnias ($5) for a one-day ticket of 500 hryvnias ($12) for all four days of the festival. (in English unless otherwise stated): Panel discussion 'Everything is Translation' featuring Ukrainian poets Iya Kiva and Ostap Slyvynsky, and Polish poet ariel rosé, moderated by Swedish literary critic Carl Henrik Fredriksson. Taking place at 6 p.m. on May 29, the conversation will explore how translation can be used as a tool against imperialism, particularly in times of war. French journalists Doan Bui and Emmanuel Carrère will join several Ukrainian colleagues for a unique live performance at 8 p.m. on May 29 — a staged retelling of powerful wartime journalism from local and international reporters, photographers, and artists. On May 30, Danylo Mokryk from the Kyiv Independent's War Crimes Investigations Unit will speak on the panel 'Reportage as Investigation: A Conversation on the Practice of Long-Form Reporting,' alongside Magdalena Sodomkova. Moderated by Tetiana Pushnova, the event is organized in partnership with the Czech Centre in Kyiv and will begin at 2:30 p.m. The Kyiv Independent's editor-in-chief Olga Rudenko and culture reporter Kate Tsurkan will join Ukrainian author Myroslav Laiuk in the panel discussion 'War of Narratives. Do We Have Anything to Counter Russian Influence on the Vision of This War Abroad?' Moderated by Julia Tymoshenko, the event will take place in Ukrainian on May 30 at 6 p.m. The Kyiv Independent's chief executive officer Daryna Shevchenko will moderate a panel titled 'The Ukrainian Narrative: A Strategic Script. How to Speak Effectively About Ukraine Abroad?' Scheduled at 7 p.m. on May 30, the discussion will feature Viktoriia Narizhna, Vira Kuryko, Halyna Skipalska, and Olha Kari, and is co-organized by the Kyiv Independent. On June 1 at 3 p.m., British journalist Peter Pomerantsev will discuss his new book 'How to Win the Information War?' in conversation with Olga Rudenko. Founder of Spravdi Liubov Tsybulska will also speak with American journalist Simon Shuster on the topic 'How a book can change the attitude toward Ukraine on the world stage' on June 1 at 5 p.m. Read also: Russia killed Ukrainian author Victoria Amelina — but not her words or quest for justice We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. 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