This publication is dedicated to the anniversary of Vasyl Stus’s death in the Mordovian labor camps. His spiritual feat was not in vain, as evidenced by the steadily growing interest in his work and personality. The book includes memoirs and reflections by Stus’s friends, acquaintances, and relatives, who considered it their duty to preserve an honest and authentic portrait of the poet for future generations. Some testimonies were recorded shortly after the tragic events and are therefore especially valuable; others were written with the distance of time and offer balanced, thoughtful assessments.

These accounts present Stus as an integral figure — poet and citizen inseparable in his life’s choices and moral stance. Memories shared by people of different nationalities and worldviews reveal the universal significance of his personality, extending far beyond Ukraine. At the same time, the book portrays a living Vasyl Stus, with his joys, doubts, suffering, and inner strength. Such a perspective is essential, as it allows the reader to see the human being behind the canonical image of the great poet.

The book is intended for a wide readership.
Length: 684 pages, illustrated. Hardcover.