In response to the increasing persecution of human rights activists, artists, writers and journalists around the world in general and in particular due to Russia’s war against Ukraine in the federal state of Hesse, a new program has been launched to support creative people from countries where freedom of expression and creativity are pursued – “Hafen der Zuflucht Hessen” (Porto Seguro – Hesse). Scholarships for this program can be received by creative people who are dedicated to writing. This project was created in cooperation with the association “Gefangenes Wort” and the Brückner-Kühner Foundation (Stiftung Brückner-Kühner), which supports writers in Germany and abroad. The first grant was received by Ukrainian poet and translator Victoria Feshchuk from Kyiv. It provided her with a safe place to live and work in Kassel until the end of this year.

The Ukrainian fellow was received by the Minister of Culture of Hesse

The Minister of Culture of Hesse, Angela Dorn, discovered the program during her business trip to the federal state and met the young Ukrainian writer at the office of the Brückner-Kühner Foundation.

“I would like to thank the Gefangenes Wort Association and the Brückner-Kühner Foundation for the prompt organization of this fellowship and welcome Viktoria Feschuk to our federal state of Hesse,” the minister said during her visit. “With this program, we support persecuted artists, journalists and authors and give them the opportunity to continue their work. The modern world faces serious challenges that we can only overcome together”, underlined the minister.

Putin’s war against Ukraine, the brutal crackdown on dissent in Russia and Belarus, as well as the situation in Hong Kong or the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan – all these events seriously threaten freedom of expression, art and science. “With its new program, the federal state of Hesse is trying to help defend and protect the democratic values ​​of the European Union,” said Angela Dorn.

The Ukrainian became the first scholarship recipient of the new program

Victoria Feshchuk was born in the Rivne region in 1996 and works as a journalist, translator and writes poetry. She is a multi-award winner in Ukraine, publishes in collections and translates poetry from Russian, Polish and English. The scholarship supports creative people from different countries in establishing creative contacts and collaborations with colleagues in Germany, as well as organizing their public presentations. Among other things, in the autumn, the fellows plan to participate in events at the Frankfurt Book Fair.

Project Manager Susan Franke

“Safe Harbor – Hesse’s statewide program began operating in April 2022. The association has supported persecuted writers and journalists in their homeland since 2018,” says project leader Susann Franke in an interview with DW.

One of the first decisions was to support the young Ukrainian poet and translator Victoria Feshchuk, who came to Kassel in July of this year. According to project manager Susan Franke, another fellow will arrive this fall under this program. Which country she still finds difficult to say, but it could be Russia, Belarus, Afghanistan or Syria.

Poems on apartment doors

For several years, the Gefangenes Wort Association has been helping persecuted writers and journalists in their homeland with materials and equipment and providing lawyers to protect their rights. And from this year, the state of Hesse offers an opportunity to find a job in Germany, paying for your accommodation and work.

At the expense of the project, Ukrainian Victoria Feshchuk received housing and a scholarship to work in Kassel. Victoria is now in the process of adapting: her bedroom door, on which she regularly posts the texts of her new poems, has become a symbol of readiness for dialogue. DW contacted the young poet and asked her to talk about herself and her new life in Germany.

“I arrived in Kassel from Kyiv on July 19 this year at the invitation of the Brückner-Kühner Foundation. Here, in the foundation’s house, I was given a room in the writers’ house and since then I have lived and worked here. Of course, I am very happy to have given me that possibility. Since the beginning of the war, on February 24th, I started to write a poem-diary, where I record the experience of the war. Every day, three new lines are added to Will it end when the war is over. Now they are 168 parts, each part has three lines. His has already started to be translated into German”, says poet Victoria Feshchuk, 26, in an interview with DW.

In Kyiv, Victoria graduated from the Taras Shevchenko National Institute in Ukrainian philology and works at one of the capital’s publishing houses on Ukrainian culture – Chitomo. Victoria Feshchuk publishes her works in anthologies, is the winner of several awards for young writers and poets. Your creative journey is just beginning. However, the war changed everything overnight and deprived her of creative plans and perspectives.

“In Germany, still little is known about Ukrainian culture and literature, and my task, among other things, is to tell as much about them as possible,” emphasizes Victoria.

The poet plans to stay in Kassel until the end of the year. Although the young poet feels good in Germany, she still dreams of returning to her homeland as soon as possible. In a small town in the Rivne region, where Victoria was born and raised, her family and close relatives remained. They call every day to find out what’s new. It is very difficult to live in constant tension and away from each other, especially when there is a war going on in your homeland, says the poet.

“I hope to return to Kyiv at the end of December this year and continue my work in my hometown. There is still a lot of work in Ukraine’s cultural space, many stories that are important to convey to the world,” he said. highlights a young poet from Kyiv, Victoria Feshchuk, who found temporary refuge in the German city of Kassel.