A new poetic collection by fallen Ukrainian soldier and poet Maxim Kryvtsov has been released in French translation, as reported by “Chytomo”.
The book was published on October 16, 2025, by the French publishing house Éditions Bleu et Jaune, which focuses on translations and publishes works by European authors.
In French, the collection is titled Poèmes de la brèche (“Poems of the Breach”).
“These poems, written straight from the trenches, strike like shrapnel: they wound, illuminate, and awaken. They speak of the terrible suffering and humble dreams of soldiers. They capture the humanity of people, revealing the fragile beauty of life even in the heart of destruction. They leave an indelible mark. This is a literary testament. The book, enhanced with photographs, handwritten poems, and QR codes that allow readers to hear the author's voice, is a rare witness, both intimate and universal,” the annotation states.
The French translation was done by Nicole Dziub, who has Ukrainian roots. Previously, she worked on the works of Maria Matios “Almost Never Opposite” (2024), “The Ukraine” by Artem Chapay (2025), “Poems from the Bunker” by Maxim Kryvtsov (2025), and “We Were Here” by Artur Dron.

Who is Maxim Kryvtsov

Poet and serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Maxim Kryvtsov, died on January 7, 2024, as a result of artillery shelling in Kharkiv region. He was 33 years old. Kryvtsov participated in the Revolution of Dignity and joined the Armed Forces as a volunteer in 2014.
Later, he worked at the Rehabilitation Center for ATO and JFO participants and Veteran Hub. After the full-scale invasion of Russians in 2022, he returned to the front.
At the end of 2023, Maxim Kryvtsov published his collection “Poems from the Bunker.” The Ukrainian PEN recognized this collection as one of the best books of Ukrainian poetry in 2023.
Maxim's poems were also included in the poetry collections “Love Book 2.0. Love and War” and “Amid Sirens. New War Poems,” published in 2023.
The poet's collection “Poems from the Bunker” sold out within one day after the news of the author's death, prompting the publishing house “Nash Format” to announce a pre-order for a new print run.
On January 11, 2024, farewell services were held for Maxim in Kyiv, and the following day in his hometown Rivne. The warrior was buried at the Alley of Heroes in the “Nove” cemetery in Rivne.
In August 2025, Maxim Kryvtsov was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine.