Ukrainian Project Fallen Rhymes Presented in London
On May 3, London hosted a significant cultural event — the presentation of Fallen Rhymes, a project dedicated to Ukrainian war poetry, alongside the book Letters on War and Love by Ukrainian soldier and poet Pavlo Matyusha and his wife, Viktoriia Matyusha. The evening brought together literature, performative art, and deeply personal testimony about the experiences of Ukrainian defenders.
As part of the event, performative readings were held, featuring excerpts from Letters on War and Love and poems written by Ukrainian soldiers, including participants of the Fallen Rhymes musical-poetic project. The London audience heard the voices of those who fight for Ukraine’s freedom every day — voices that still find space for humor, love, and appreciation of life’s fleeting moments.
Fallen Rhymes is a cultural and artistic initiative that pairs the poetry of Ukrainian military personnel with the music of contemporary performers. Its goal is to preserve and convey the voices of war through songs, poems, and live performances — a living chronicle of war that is emotional, authentic, and unapologetically loud. The project is co-organized by the NGO Horizons Without Borders and the literary agency OVO.
The book Letters on War and Love is based on the real-life correspondence between Pavlo and Viktoriia Matiusha, a married couple separated by war. Viktoriia was forced to flee to France with their four children, while Pavlo chose to remain in Ukraine to defend his homeland. The London event marked the book’s first public presentation in English. It offers an intimate look into a soldier’s inner world, where the horror of war coexists with a love strong enough to help one endure. The book was first published in February 2024 in France by l’Iconoclaste, and in early 2025, the international television production and distribution company Space Production secured the rights for its screen adaptation.
Performative readings were delivered by actress and theatre director Yevheniia Shymshyrian, poet and translator Matvii Smirnov, and actor Danny Kamensky. The event featured poems by Ukrainian military poets Dmytro Lazutkin, Pavlo Matyusha, Olena Herasymiuk, Vitaly Sugar, Ihor Mitrov, and Artur Dron, translated into English by Matvii Smirnov and Daisy Gibbons. The evening was curated by Victoria Stepanets.
The visual artwork for Fallen Rhymes was created by Ukrainian artist Nikita Titov.
The event took place as part of the Ukrainian Vesna Fest, organized by the University of Greenwich and the Woolwich Works cultural centre in London.
