Serhiy Zhadan

Україна

Serhiy Zhadan is a Ukrainian writer, translator, civic activist, and frontman of the rock bands "Zhadan and the Dogs" and "Mannerheim Line." His literary works have earned numerous national and international awards and have been translated into more than twenty languages, establishing him as one of the most prominent contemporary Ukrainian authors. During the Orange Revolution (2004), he served as the commander of a tent camp in Kharkiv. He actively participated in the Kharkiv Euromaidan (2013-2014) and was injured while defending the Kharkiv Regional State Administration building from a pro-Russian attack. Zhadan also advocated for the release of Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov from Russian captivity. He founded the Serhiy Zhadan Charitable Foundation, which supports educational and cultural initiatives. One of his key projects, "The East Reads," aims to supply books to libraries in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Zhadan has been providing volunteer support to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In June 2024, he joined the 13th Operational Brigade "Khartia" of the National Guard of Ukraine.