Legacy of bravery: Fallen Ukrainian soldier-poet Maksym Kryvtsov’s work lives on in new poetry edition supporting his family and military

Even in death, the words of Maksym Kryvtsov, the soldier-poet recently killed by Russian forces at the frontline, will live on. 

The Nash Format publishing house has announced a new edition of his poetry book “Poetry From the Loop-hole, ” (“Вірші з бійниці”) with all proceeds going toward his family and an educational  book project for members of the military, according to a post (text in Ukrainian) on the publishing house’s Facebook page.

The edition, in Ukrainian, can be pre-ordered here. International shipping is available, and the ordering page can  easily be translated using Google Translate or other online translation tools.

Just when I thought my heart couldn’t be more shattered, I learned that along with the poet Maksym Kryvtsov, who was killed by Russians today, his loyal companion—a red cat—died too. pic.twitter.com/DuRv1rXrSH

— Saint Javelin (@saintjavelin) January 8, 2024

The publishing house has also noted that they will cover all the printing and distribution costs.

“We wanted the reader to see an artist with a delicate spiritual organization and an artist’s view, not just a military poet. That’s why we have chosen photographs on film that Max has been taking over the past few years. He wanted to open up to the readers and interact with them, so he wrote about himself as if it were a Tinder profile. It was his idea to add pages in the book where readers could draw a poem or write their own. He really wanted to publish his poetry collection and was afraid that he might not have time to do it in his lifetime. When the book was already in print, he shared his ideas for the next collections with the editorial team,” the publishing house said in a statement.

As previously reported, the first edition of the collection sold out following Kryvtsov’s death Nash Format publishing executive director Anastasiia Nikitina informed that as of Dec. 23, 2023, 1,500 copies of the book had been printed. The publishing house sent about 400 copies to readers who had pre-ordered copies, and the rest were sold after the news of Maksym Kryvtsov’s death. Nikitina said that the second edition of the collection is expected in February.

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“When we were working on the book, we wanted it to be exactly like this: all about him. The way he feels it, lives through it, photographs and experiences. Now you live this book through with Dali. Feel and remember him exactly the way he wanted to be for you,” Anastasiia Nikitina shared in her post.

Rights to publish the book outside Ukraine have not been acquired yet, and can be obtained via contacting Nash  here.

Read our full interview with Kryvtsov conducted last year:

Echoes from the frontline: Maksym Kryvtsov on war, poetry, and why Ukrainian youth give him hope

Main image: Nash Format publishing/Maksym Kryvtsov’s Facebook page