A new literary initiative has united poets from nine different countries in the underground passages of Ukraine.

In June, a project titled "Poems in the Subway 2025" was launched in the subway stations of Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Dnipro, organized by the Polish Institute in Kyiv in collaboration with the Ukrainian EUNIC cluster. This initiative coincides with Poland's presidency in the European Union Council.

As part of the project, poetic posters featuring the works of nine contemporary authors from various nations have been installed in the subways, presented both in their original versions and in Ukrainian translation. The themes of the poems are diverse, with many addressing pressing issues, including the war in Ukraine and universal human experiences.

Featured authors include Bohdan Zadura (Poland), Peter Paul Wiplinger (Austria), Vicente Aleixandre-y-Merlo (Spain), Marius Burokas (Lithuania), Liza Vida (Netherlands), Rosa Ausländer (Germany), Sándor Petőfi (Hungary), and Maria Illyashenko (Czech Republic). A significant part of the project is dedicated to Victoria Amelina's "Not Poetry," a Ukrainian writer who tragically lost her life due to a missile strike in Kramatorsk in 2023.

The project will run throughout June, with organizers anticipating its continuation in July.

Additionally, thanks to the Polish Institute in Kyiv, Nobel laureate Olga Tokarczuk visited Kyiv in a show of solidarity.