Ukraine

Literature Forums Meridian

Literary events in front-line cities promote exchange and unity in Ukraine – especially in times when the cultural infrastructure is under attack.

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About the project

Odesa and Mykolaiv, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia form the front-line cities in the fight for the future of Ukraine and have become symbols of resilience. Literature takes on a new role in this reality, one that goes beyond the traditional art discourse: it contributes to strengthening the community, gives people their voice back, helps them understand the events, and supports the building of a shared future. In addition to readings and book presentations with Ukrainian authors and intellectuals, the focus is on discussions about the role of culture in the context of war and the reconstruction of destroyed cultural infrastructure.

Russia’s war against Ukraine not only causes immense human suffering and loss, but it also deliberately targets the country’s cultural identity and cultural heritage. The Russian invaders specifically bomb monuments of cultural heritage and cultural infrastructure facilities in Ukraine, such as museums or printing houses. The protection of and engagement with culture strengthens the recovery and rebuilding process of the country.

Cultural events, beside the cities Kyiv and Lviv, are sorely missed in the country, as they are important and rare places of encounter, exchange and identification with Ukrainian culture. ‘People who live in war want to know that they have culture, that they are culture,’ says Ukrainian writer Jurko Prochasko.

The project involves the organization of five literary festivals in 2025 and 2026 in Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Chernivtsi, Mykolaiv, and Odesa. Two pairs of parallel festivals in the front-line cities of Ukraine, as well as an additional festival in the comparatively safe city of Chernivtsi in western Ukraine, home to the Meridian Literature House.

Meridian Kharkiv and Meridian Zaporizhzhia: June 20–21, 2026
Meridian Chernivtsi: September 4–6, 2026
Meridian Odesa and Meridian Mykolaiv: Oktober 31–November 1, 2026

Insights: Literature Forums in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia 2025

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Poet Yarina Chornohus at her reading in Kharkiv
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Evgenia Lopata, director of the Literature Forums Meridian, in conversation with Ukrainian author Andriy Lyubka in Kharkiv
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Poet and filmmaker Iryna Tsilyk on stage (right) during her reading in Kharkiv
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Poet Yuliia 'Taira' Paievska is signing autographs in Zaporizhzhia
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Yuliia 'Taira' Paievska in conversation with award-winning author Serhiy Zhadan in Kharkiv