94 years of Lina Kostenko’s greatness

Lina Kostenko is a poet who not only impresses the world with her depth and insight. She has become a symbol of strength, steadfastness, and devotion to her people. Her poetry is a reflection of the complex history of Ukraine, an expression of the problems of the time and, unfortunately, of today’s reality.

There were many obstacles and trials on the way to Lina Kostenko’s achievements. She survived two wars, her father’s conviction, and a ban on publishing her works. However, even in the most difficult moments, she remained true to her principles and devoted to her country. Lina Kostenko’s works are still inspiring today, they retain their power and influence on readers of different generations.

We congratulate Lina Kostenko on her birthday and want to draw the world’s attention to the problems of Ukrainian children who are trying to live a happy childhood during an unspeakably terrible war. The Verba Shadow Theater decided to combine Lina Kostenko’s work with visual content in the genre of shadow theater.

One of Lina Kostenko’s very first poems was taken as a basis: “My first poem was written in a trench”.

This poem was written by a young Lina Vasylivna when she was recalling her childhood, which was destroyed by the war.

She talks about a poem she wrote on the wall of a trench during the war, but it was destroyed by an explosion.

In the poem, she talks about how hard it is to experience loss and how sad she is to see a world full of suffering.

She says that not only does war cripple people, but the memories of it can be painful.

The poem expresses deep emotions and shows how the author opens her heart, using poetry to express the tragic truth of war and its impact on people.

Narrated by: Liliia Dukhno, radio presenter at Ukrainian Radio Chernihiv.