Lina Kostenko read her poem “Wings” to the “Birds of Madjar” troupe
The legendary Ukrainian poet Lina Kostenko recorded a video in which she recited her iconic poem “Wings” for the soldiers of the “Madyar’s Birds” brigade.
According to the soldiers, this poem has become their unofficial anthem, as the lines about wings have taken on new symbolism in an era when “iron birds”—drones and aircraft—are used to defend Ukraine’s skies. The defenders expressed their sincere gratitude to the writer for her support and noted that her live voice gives them strength in their fight against the enemy.
Lina Kostenko’s poem “Wings”
It’s true, winged creatures don’t need the ground.
If there’s no earth, there will be the sky. If there’s no field, there will be freedom.
If there’s no steam, there will be clouds.
In this, surely, lies the truth of a bird…
But what about a person? What about a person?
They live on the earth. They cannot fly on their own.
Yet they have wings. They have wings!
These wings are not made of down and feathers,
but of truth, virtue, and trust.
For some, they come from faithfulness in love.
For others, from an eternal yearning.
For some, they come from sincerity in work.
For others, from generosity in caring.
For some, from song, or from hope,
Or from poetry, or from dreams.
People supposedly don’t fly…
Yet they have wings. They have wings!
Source: a post by the “A-ba-ba-ga-la-ma-ga” publishing house on Facebook.
Two petitions have appeared on the Kyiv City Council’s website proposing the installation of new monuments at the site of the dismantled monument to writer Mikhail Bulgakov on Andriivskyi Uzviz. The authors of the initiatives emphasize that the design of the future monument should be determined through an open competition. Specifically, one of the petitions calls for a monument to Ukrainian poet and dissident Lina Kostenko.
Lina Kostenko is returning with a new book of poetry.
