Daria Knurenko
on translating Vasyl Stus
I decided to translate this poem because it seemed relevant to our times of unrest and growing repression in different parts of the world. I was interested in the author’s use of satire and the epistolary form in the poem, which I found atypical. The context in which the poem was written (its sharp criticism of Soviet repressions), coupled with its resigned acceptance of the lack of answers, seems very reflective of the era we find ourselves in today. I love how the poem’s rhythm and innovative choices, such as condensed phrases, introduce an almost-playfulness into its grave theme of political criticism and bitterness in the face of authoritarianism and the untrue narratives that surround our lives, as well as the recognition of one’s need to nonetheless somehow deal with these “doubts.”
about the author
Vasyl Stus was a Ukrainian poet, translator, and dissident whose life and work embody the moral resistance to Soviet oppression. Born in 1938 in the village of Rakhnivka and raised in the industrial city of Stalino (now Donetsk), he studied literature at Donetsk University before working as a teacher, editor, and translator in Kyiv. A central figure in the Sixtiers movement, Stus used his writing to defend Ukrainian cultural identity and denounce political repression, which led to his first arrest in 1972. After enduring imprisonment and exile, he was arrested again in 1980 for his continued activism, and sentenced to ten more years in labor camps. He died in 1985 in the Perm-36 camp after a hunger strike, becoming a symbol of resistance and moral resilience. His poetry, much of it written in captivity, is known for its spiritual intensity, philosophical depth, and honesty. Often composed in free verse, his poems explore suffering, conscience, exile, and the human capacity for inner freedom. Despite Soviet censorship, Stus left behind a body of work that remains central to Ukrainian literature and the broader struggle for truth and dignity.
about the translator
Daria Knurenko is a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania studying Comparative Literature and Art History. She grew up in Chernihiv, Ukraine, and speaks Ukrainian, English, French, German, and Russian. She translates from and into English, French, Ukrainian, and Russian, focusing on nineteenth and twentieth century poetry. Having lived in different countries has informed her interest in the ways people communicate across languages and cultures, as well as literary translation, which brings these notions together.
