Solidarity evening for Ukraine

The Ukrainian journalist and author Victoria Amelina died in a Russian missile attack in 2023. In her memory, PEN Berlin, PEN Ukraine and the Ukrainian Institute invite you to a big evening of solidarity. PEN Berlin in cooperation with the international literature festival berlin. Supported by the Friede Springer Foundation.

With Yevgeniy Breyger, Maren Eggert, Vassili Golod, Yuriy Gurzhy, Wolodymyr Jermolenko, Tanja Maljartschuk, Katja Petrowskaja, Paul Ronzheimer, Deniz Yücel and a video message from Serhij Zhadan.

Tickets are available here | Ticket: 18 € / reduced: 12 € / Solidarity ticket: 28 € / Solidarity ticket reduced: 22 €. With your solidarity ticket you support the work of PEN Ukraine. Solidarity tickets can be found in the ticket store under the menu item "Reduction".

Haus der Berliner Festspiele | Large Stage | Schaperstraße 24 | Berlin
Friday, September 19 | 7:30 pm

Program: War has been raging in Ukraine for three years and the world order is in upheaval. But what does this mean for writers and journalists, and how do they view this conflict today?

Introduction: Deniz Yücel

War reporters panel: Vassili Golod and Paul Ronzheimer talk about what is happening on the front line.

Writers' panel: Katja Petrowskaja, Yevgeniy Breyger and Tanja Maljartschuk talk about how their everyday lives and their writing have changed.

Reading from "Blick auf Frauen. The war in view" by Victoria Amelina (edition.fotoTAPETA 2025): Maren Eggert

Keynote: Volodymyr Yermolenko on the precarious situation of writers and the media in his country and the fight for independent reporting.

Musical accompaniment: Yuriy Gurzhy

Video message: Serhij Zhadan

Moderated by Alev Doğan and Jörg Thadeusz

Contributors:

Yevgeniy Breyger [Ukraine *1989] is a poet, translator and lecturer at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. He has received numerous awards for his work, including the Leonce and Lena Prize in 2019.

Alev Doğan [Germany *1989] is a political journalist and deputy editor-in-chief at "The Pioneer". She hosts the weekly society podcast "Der 8. Tag".

Maren Eggert [Germany *1974] is an actress. She has received numerous awards, including the Silver Bear at the Berlinale and the German Film Award.

Vassili Golod [Ukraine *1993] is a foreign correspondent for ARD. He has been head of the ARD studio in Kiev since 2023. Together with Jan Kawelke and Salwa Houmsi, he runs the podcast "Machiavelli - Rap & Politics".

Yuriy Gurzhy [Ukraine *1975] is an author, DJ and musician. Together with the writer Wladimir Kaminer, he initiated the legendary Russendisko party series in Berlin.

Volodymyr Yermolenko [Ukraine *1980] is a philosopher, editor-in-chief of the online platform "UkraineWorld" and head of the political department at Internews Ukraine. He has been President of PEN Ukraine since 2022.

Tanja Maljartschuk [Ukraine *1983] lives in Vienna. She was awarded the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize in 2018. Her most recent essay collection "The story is about to continue, we're just breathing out" was published.

Katja Petrowskaja [Ukraine *1970] has lived in Berlin since 1999. Her debut "Maybe Esther" was published in 2014 and has been translated into more than 30 languages and won numerous awards.

Paul Ronzheimer [Germany *1985] is a war reporter and deputy editor-in-chief of "Bild". In 2022, Volodymyr Selenskyj awarded him the Ukrainian Order of Merit, which he did not accept.

Jörg Thadeusz [Germany *1968] is a journalist, radio and television presenter and writer. His most recent novel was "Steinhammer".

Deniz Yücel [Germany *1973] is a journalist for "Die Welt" and spokesperson for PEN Berlin, winner of the Theodor Wolff Prize. His most recent book is "Agentterrorist - A story about freedom and friendship, democracy and non-sodemocracy".

Serhij Zhadan [Ukraine *1974] is the winner of the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade. He received the Jan Michalski Literature Prize for "The Invention of Jazz in the Donbass", among others. He lives in Kharkiv and is now a soldier.