309 Ukrainian writers killed in the war: Nedopysani project adds 20 names to memorial list
The project last updated the list in February 2026, when the team reported 289 identified victims. Since then, volunteers have identified 20 more people and added their names.
The newly added names include:
As Chytomo reports, one of the newly added names is Ihor Khodzhaniiazov, a poet, translator, linguist, musician, and researcher of traditional music. He was killed on June 28, 2026, while carrying out a combat mission, when a Russian guided aerial bomb hit his position. His wife, Olena Shykura, reported his death.
Khodzhaniiazov held the rank of senior sailor. He studied traditional music and the cultural heritage of various communities, including the Karakalpaks.
Another new name is Vladyslav Loza, a poet, philosopher, and marine. He was killed near Krynky in May 2024.
In September 2026, the Dukh i Litera publishing house released Loza's posthumous poetry collection, Bezdorizhzhia. The book features selected works, including poems he wrote while serving in the military. In 2018, Loza received an award from the Smolensk Literary Competition.
Another writer on the list is Yaroslav Ivanov, a service member, musician, and songwriter known by his call sign "Varnak." He was killed on May 31, 2026, while carrying out a combat mission. He was 23.
Ivanov wrote music and prose and created rap songs about his experience of war. According to the project, he left behind a draft of one book and had been working on a second. He never got to publish either.
The Nedopysani project was founded by veteran, poet, and civic activist Olena Herasymiuk, and serviceman, volunteer, writer, and translator Yevhen Lir. Lir also co-founded the Your Underground Humanitarian project and its publishing house.
The project team does more than identify those killed. Volunteers also search for their writing, gather information about their lives and work, piece together their biographies, and document their contributions to literature and Ukrainian culture.
The founders say they collect information about those killed from many sources, including media reports, social media posts, archival materials, and accounts from relatives and friends. In some cases, they can identify a person soon after news of their death emerges. For others, finding reliable information takes much longer and requires further research.
The team also works to reconstruct the lives of people who wrote poetry or prose but never had the chance to publish their work or become widely known. This involves tracking down information about their writing, manuscripts, and other materials that help tell the story of their lives and creative work.
The number of identified literary figures on the list has steadily grown since the project began. The team had identified 194 people by September 2024, 224 by January 2025, and 289 by February 2026. By early November 2026, the number had reached 309.
Alongside collecting information and documenting lives, Nedopysani also produces audio and video projects dedicated to the work of writers killed in the war.
In March 2025, the team partnered with the LitCom reading app to create the HolosyNedpysani audio anthology. It features 10 poems read by their authors, including Maksym Kryvtsov, Viktoriia Amelina, Hlib Babich, Yurii Ruf, and Ihor Mysiak.
The team also worked with the Rhythm art project to create an art video using archival recordings of poems by writers killed in the war.
In related news, the city of Rivne has founded a poetry prize named after Hero of Ukraine Maksym Kryvtsov to support young writers and help them publish their books. Poets aged 35 and under will be eligible.
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6 of November 2026
