Sincerity in poetry amid Russia’s war against Ukraine: Svidchennia of Victoria Amelina
Sincerity in poetry amid Russia’s war against Ukraine: Svidchennia of Victoria Amelina

Summary/Abstract: Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has significantly reshaped contemporary Ukrainian literature, which has increasingly foregrounded war-related themes, as well as the articulation of collective trauma and the atrocities of armed conflict. Within this context, poetry has emerged as a particularly powerful genre, offering a medium through which the emotional and experiential dimensions of war can be communicated to a broader audience. War poetry plays a crucial role, enabling it to convey the depth of collective trauma while bearing witness to the human suffering engendered by war. In her poetry collection Svidchennia (Testimonies, 2024), Victoria Amelina foregrounds the narrative of collective war trauma experienced by ordinary people, generating an effect of sincerity grounded in testimony. Amelina’s work particularly articulates the female experience, a perspective that is frequently marginalized or overlooked in traditional war literature. By centering these voices, Svidchennia not only bears witness to the everyday realities of war but also contributes to a broader understanding of the social and emotional dimensions of war, highlighting resilience, loss, and the ethical responsibility of remembering.

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