A spontaneous trip to Frankfurt

I opened Instagram and saw that Serhiy Zhadan would come to Frankfurt in a week. A spontaneous thought appeared: "Maybe I should go?!? Just buy tickets and go?!?!". I didn't give my inner critic a chance to join the conversation, almost immediately I opened DB app, clicked the button and I had my tickets…. Many people consciously forbid themselves to make such spontaneous decisions for various reasons. But the truth is that the war demonstrated that you have to live here and now no matter what. Life cannot be postponed for later. Life cannot be predicted and planned for ten years ahead, now it is difficult to plan anything even for a few days. Certainty limits space and closes off opportunities and pleasant moments that could be instead. The older I got, the more I tried to predict everything as much as possible. This applied not only to trips, in which I wrote step by step what and when to do, where to go, and what to see, but also to my whole life, and especially to work projects. But it is spontaneity and uncertainty that opens the door to creativity. In such unplanned moments, inspiration is born that creates something interesting, something new....

Five hours by train and I am in Frankfurt, the spring city of spring people…. I live in the coldest point on the map of Germany, so Frankfurt for me is about the sun and smiles. Frankfurt is full of life, it is everywhere, and it seems that this city never sleeps. Many moments and places reminded me of my native Kyiv, especially the restaurant on the roof of GALERIA with a panoramic view of the entire city like at TSUM in Kyiv.

This is my first time at Serhiy's literary reading, and there is always a fear of disappointment - what if the person you are reading, listening to....etc.... in real life is completely different, and if your ideas about this person are radically different from what he/she is in offline?!?! But in reality, there was no disappointment. There was Serhiy's authenticity, openness, depth, and truthfulness. His texts, like himself, are frank, real, and unadorned, but they touch the Soul and Heart and do not leave anyone indifferent.

For the first time in my life, I didn't cry, I didn't cry at all... Because anyone who knows me knows that I'm too sensitive - two stinging words and I'm sobbing. But not here.... Almost all the people coming for his literature readings were crying, and I was handing out napkins to the women sitting next to me, but I wasn't.... I thought: "How strange. I don't cry at all. Probably, my emotions and feelings are frozen or atrophied altogether." And then I realized: "Serhiy Zhadan's words are so absorbing and touching that you feel complete unity with his creature (texts) and at that moment only you and his text exist. And then after some time, when you leave this energetic field, emotions in the form of tears catch up with you"...

Such international meetings and international tours are now very important not only from the point of view of promoting Ukraine, demonstrating our strengths and current narratives with the help of culture and art, but also the formation of a community abroad, communication, and networking with all Ukrainians who are now abroad....

THANK YOU!!!

INFO

"Ukrainian writer and musician Serhiy Zhadan received the 2022 Peace Prize of German Booksellers. This was announced by the Ukrainian Book Institute. This award was given to the Ukrainian artist for his creativity and humane attitude, helping civilians and soldiers." 

April 23, 2023.