Literary Evening with Serhiy Zhadan at Karazin University

Honorary Doctor of the University, Serhiy Zhadan, visited Karazin University.

At the initiative of the Student Council, a literary evening was organized. They gathered in shelter. But they managed to warm each other with warmth. Karazinites and guests of the university listened to poetry performed by Serhiy.

Serhiy talked about Ukrainian poetry today: "Everything that is written today is somehow about war. Even if the word "war" is not in the text. By the sense and intonations, even the air, everything we do now will be read as literature during the war in the future."

Guests also had the opportunity to communicate live with the writer and ask their questions. In particular, they asked about the era of contemporary art, the writer's values, and the characters of his works.

At the end of the meeting, the Honorary Doctor gave students advice: "Now we all try to compare our emotional state with the past. With what was before February 24, 2022, when there was no big war here. Yes, everything was different in Kharkiv then. Everything has changed now, but we hold onto our past. It seems to me that there is a certain trap here: we try to sit on the fence between the past and the future, try to fantasize, think about what Kharkiv will be like after the war, how we will rebuild it. This faith is very important. But in this whole system, there is now a lack of the present. We don't exist, we live here, we meet now, with our love, anxiety, fear, and faith. It is important to feel today, to do what depends on you. Nobody knows what tomorrow will bring."

Thank you to Serhiy, the Honorary Doctor, and the true friend of our university, for this evening! The students are already looking forward to the next meeting with you. The doors of Karazin University are always open for you!