Lina Kostenko is a key figure of the Sixtiers movement, a dissident who never bowed to Soviet censorship and steadfastly defended Ukrainian culture. During the USSR era, her poetry was spread through samizdat, inspiring Ukrainians to preserve their language and culture despite repression.

Kostenko’s poetry is powerful, uncompromising, and deeply human. Her legendary novel in verse, Marusia Churai, intertwines history and poetry, personal tragedy and national memory, and stands as a cornerstone of Ukrainian literature.