Renowned Ukrainian Artist Serhiy Zhadan Joins National Guard Brigade

Acclaimed Ukrainian artist Serhiy Zhadan enlisted on June 6th with the “Khartia” brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine.

The writer, poet, and musician previously announced his intention to join the fight in March, stating, “There are no writers or non-writers, musicians or non-musicians — there are citizens of Ukraine who feel responsible for their country.”

The writer’s Facebook post confirmed his enlistment with the 13th Brigade, adding, “I’m undergoing training and serving the Ukrainian people,” and including a photo of the training.

Zhadan has a history of activism, volunteering for humanitarian aid delivery to the military since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, and participating in both the Orange Revolution (2004) and Revolution of Dignity (2013-14).

In 2022, the Committee of Literary Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences nominated Zhadan for the Nobel Prize in Literature. That same year, he was awarded the Peace Prize in the German Book Trade.