Poems by Ukrainian authors featured throughout Paris metro stations

A selection of excerpts from poems by Ukrainian women poets, translated into French, has appeared in Paris metro stations.

Ten poetic excerpts have been installed at ten metro stations as part of the campaign. Parisians will have the opportunity to experience this poetry from Jan. 28 to March 11, 2026.

“Ukrainian women’s poetry develops in a constant dialogue between history, language, and inner experience. While some texts reflect the impact of war, they do not limit the rich, diverse, and centuries-old poetic tradition to a single theme. After all, creativity remains, above all, a space of freedom,” said a representative of the Ukrainian Institute.

Among the authors whose poems appeared in the Paris metro were:

• Lesia Ukrayinka;
• Lina Kostenko;
• Oksana Zabuzhko;
• Lyuba Yakymchuk;
• Ella Yevtushenko;
• Kateryna Kalytko;
• Iryna Tsilyk;
• Yaryna Chornohuz.

Excerpts from poems in French translation were selected from collections of Ukrainian poetry published by Éditions des Femmes, Le Tripode, Éditions Circé, and Éditions Bruno Doucey.

RELATED: Foxes, birds, and the contradictions of the era: A new translation of Ukrainian poetry

Copy editing: Sheri Liguori