Poems from the Battlefield: The Legacy of Maksym Kryvtsov

A recent French translation of the poetry collection by Maksym Kryvtsov, a fallen Ukrainian soldier and poet, has been published.
The book was released on October 16, 2025, by Éditions Bleu et Jaune, a publishing house specializing in translations of European authors' works.
The French edition is titled Poèmes de la brèche, meaning "Poems of the Breach".
"These poems, written straight from the trenches, strike with the force of shrapnel: they wound, illuminate, and awaken. They speak of profound suffering and humble dreams of soldiers. They capture the humanity of people, revealing the fragile beauty of life even amid destruction. This is a literary testament, enriched with photographs, manuscripts, and QR codes to hear the author's voice," the annotation states.
The translation was done by Nicole Dziub, who has Ukrainian roots and has previously worked on the works of other Ukrainian authors.

Who is Maksym Kryvtsov

Maksym Kryvtsov, a poet and serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, died on January 7, 2024, due to artillery shelling. He was only 33 years old. Kryvtsov actively participated in the Revolution of Dignity and volunteered for the Armed Forces in 2014.
Later, he worked at rehabilitation centers for veterans. After the full-scale invasion began in 2022, he returned to the front lines.
At the end of 2023, his collection "Poems from the Battlefield" was published and recognized as one of the best books of Ukrainian poetry that year.
His poems were also included in the anthologies "Book Love 2.0. Love and War" and "Amid Sirens", released in 2023.
The collection "Poems from the Battlefield" was sold out in one day following the news of his death, prompting the publisher "Nash Format" to announce a new printing.
A farewell ceremony was held for Maksym on January 11, 2024, in Kyiv, and the next day in his hometown Rivne. He was buried at the Heroes' Alley of the local cemetery.
In August 2025, Maksym Kryvtsov was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine.