Oksana Zabuzhko is 64 years old. 10 important quotes of an outstanding Ukrainian writer about the war and stereotypes about Russia and Ukraine in the West

“On Thursday, September 19, Oksana Zabuzhko, an outstanding Ukrainian writer, literary critic, essayist, laureate of the Shevchenko Prize, Knight of the Order of Princess Olga and the Legion of Honor of France, turns 64. Oksana Zabuzhko stirred up the Ukrainian cultural and literary space with her debut novel, Field Studies of Ukrainian Sex, which was published in 1996 and became the first Ukrainian bestseller, as well as the most translated Ukrainian prose work in the world. Video of the day In its own”, — write on: ua.news

Oksana Zabuzhko stirred up the Ukrainian cultural and literary space with her debut novel, Field Studies of Ukrainian Sex, which was published in 1996 and became the first Ukrainian bestseller, as well as the most translated Ukrainian prose work in the world.

In her work, the writer explores national identity, gender equality and feminism. Oksana Zabuzhko’s works have been translated into more than 20 languages ​​and are published in Austria, Bulgaria, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, France and other countries.

Ukrainian poet Kateryna Kalytko named Oksana Zabuzhko “a voice that shapes and changes Ukrainian culture”.

After the start of a full-scale invasion, which the writer found in Europe, the voice of Oksana Zabuzhko began to sound even more powerfully in the world. The laureate of international awards, Fulbright scholar, teacher of Ukrainian studies at Harvard and Pittsburgh universities uses every opportunity to remind the world about the war in Ukraine. So, this year, during the press conference of the Berlinale International Film Festival, Zabuzhko turned on the air alarm signal to make it clear what sounds millions of Ukrainians hear every day. In 2022, she made the longest creative tour in her writing career, having traveled to 21 countries and 93 cities with her new book The Longest Journey. In 2023, Oksana Zabuzhko became one of the three Ukrainian women included in the BBC 100 Women list of the most influential women of the year.

Among the most read works of Oksana Zabuzhko is the collection of essays Let my people go: 15 texts about the Ukrainian revolution (2005), philosophical work Notre Dame d’Ukraine: Ukrainian woman in the conflict of mythologies (2007), the novel Museum of Abandoned Secrets (2009), a collection of stories After the third bell, entry to the hall is prohibited (2017), a collection of essays Planet of Wormwood (2020), essay The Longest Journey (2022), The Tale of the Viburnum Pipe (2024).

On the occasion of Oksana Zabuzhko’s birthday NV Life presents the 10 most important quotes of Oksana Zabuzhko about the war, false stereotypes about Russia, Russian and Ukrainian culture in the West, and the reaction of the West from the writer’s interviews and statements on social networks, made after the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine.

“Ukraine broke the inertia of defeats, which is really very important. With torment, with blood, with frantic ruptures of stereotypes and multi-generational inertia at the same time. With torment, with blood, uprooting, we break paradigms, established standards. And that’s why it triggers. In principle, we have already started global revolutionary processes, of which we are mostly unaware.” (Quotation from an interview on Social Culture)

“The event is in the process of regaining consciousness, sobering up. Because for them, February 24 was the same rude awakening: brutal and cruel, unexpected.” (Quote from an interview with Radio NV)

“I didn’t wake up on February 24. I have been crying since 2008 and I understood that it was a war. And since 2010, it has been absolutely obvious to me that a war is coming, which is inevitable, unavoidable, and which, in the Kremlin’s plans, should be a world war. And of course, it was clear that we are on the road, we will be next after Georgia.” (Quote from an interview with Radio NV)

“Putin’s success is that he was not stopped earlier. He simply collects the cream of what was cultivated for centuries, starting with the work of Stalin’s Cheka on this very Western Front.” (Quote from an interview with Radio NV)

“For me, as a Ukrainian, the attitude of Russian writers was obvious. We were, as it were, aborigines from the villages on the outskirts. Every Russian writer has these colonial narratives.” (Quote from a speech at Lviv BookForum 2023).

“Ukrainians are now being translated, extradited, invited, held microphones in front of a squeal – not because we are so beautiful, smart and talented – but because our country unexpectedly for everyone turned into the one before which the whole world trembled since 1945″. (Quote from Oksana Zabuzhko’s post on Facebook).

“Literature is the language of time. It has the power to remain eternal in its essence.” (A quote from a speech at TEDxKyiv)

“It can be said that this is the same century-old war that has been going on since 1914. And this empire is still not allowed to fall apart. And all the time a group rushes and holds her, as soon as pieces begin to fall off her. Either in 1918 or in 1991−92». (A quote from an interview with BBC Ukraine).

“…My warring country stands behind me, the Armed Forces of Ukraine stands behind me. My words are supported by very important actions of my state. And here, unfortunately, quoting discussions of the twentieth century, one can once again make sure that the difference between a language and a dialect is that the language has an army and a navy. That is why your arguments are especially carefully listened to after the army and navy defeat those whom everyone fears». (Quote from an interview for Radio Kultury).

“And in the meantime, who, if not we, has to constantly tell the world at all costs what gulags are waiting for him in the event of our defeat, and what kind of bastards are waiting for him in the event of our victory. But for this, at least, it is necessary to realize, at all levels, that this is also a part of military operations, without which they can be successful, except for a short distance.” (Column for NV Journal).