Richard Coombes

@richtranslator

Ukrainian and Russian speaker, translator of verse, lyrics and literary prose. Out now: Disbelief, Dislocation, Someone Else’s Life, The Food Block.

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Richard Coombes@richtranslator· 7d

In May I went to the Kyiv Book Arsenal and enjoyed a number of panel discussions and presentations. Here are Maksym Butkevich, Mariana Savka with Illarion Pavliuk, Pavlo Derevianko, Artur Dron and Yevhenia Kuznetsova, YK again, and Julia Musakovska with Oleksandra Matviychuk

Maksym Butkevich at the Kyiv Book Arsenal in May 2026, speaking on stage into a microphone in front of a large blue screen with bold white text, addressing a seated audience that watches and records him on a smartphone.

Panel discussion on a publishing stage with five speakers — two in military uniforms, a moderator holding a microphone and books on a table — addressing a seated audience beneath large stylized "Publishing Stage" signage.
Participants are Mariana Savka with Illarion Pavliuk, Pavlo Derevianko, Artur Dron and Yevhenia Kuznetsova

Kyiv Book Arsenal, May 2026. Panel discussion. Yevhenia Kuznetsova speaking into a handheld microphone, hand on her chest while explaining a point against a blue LED backdrop, with a second microphone and a purple cup on the table in front of her.

Kyiv Book Arsenal, May 2026. Panel discussion on a blue "Literary Stage" backdrop: Oleksandra Matviychuk on the right speaks into a microphone, the chairperson in the center listens, and Julia Musakovska on the left holds notes while audience heads fill the foreground.

Richard Coombes@richtranslator· 8d

In May I went to the Kyiv Book Arsenal, and was overjoyed to meet a number of people who mean a lot to me. Natalie Skorykova (Orlando Publishing), Maryna Ponomarenko, whose poetry I translate, Yevhenia Kuznetsova, whose novels I love, and Valentyna Merzhyievska, co-host of the podcast Repainted Fox.

Natalie Skorykova and I embrace warmly at the Kyiv Book Arsenal, while blurred visitors and colourful booths fill the background.

A selfie of Maryna Ponomarenko and me at the Kyiv Book Arsenal, with a leafy tree and part of the Arsenal building behind us, a lamppost and other people visible in the background.

Yevhenia Kusnetsova and me at the Kyiv Book Arsenal, smiling in a close-up selfie — Yevhenia in the lower-left and me on the right wearing a dark shirt with a light crossbody strap; other attendees and artwork are visible in the background.

Me and Valentyna Merzhyievska leaning together for a sunny outdoor selfie, smiling at the camera; Valentyna on left wears hoop earrings, glasses on her head, turtleneck and pendant, me on right has light hair; sunlit brick building and blue sky in background.

Richard Coombes@richtranslator· 8d

In May this year I went to Kyiv, partly as a tourist but mainly to attend the Kyiv Book Arsenal. Touristy post 7 of 7. The two escalators, stacked one on top of the other at Arsenalna metro station, making it the deepest underground station in Europe. And the famous St Michael and St Sophia.

Arsenalna metro station, Kyiv. The first of two long, steep escalators, this one descending through a curved underground tunnel lined with glowing ad panels along the center, a few distant riders visible at the far end.

Arsenalna metro station, Kyiv. The second of two long, steep escalators, this one in an arched subway tunnel lined with illuminated ad panels, a worker in an orange vest riding upwards.

St Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery, Kyiv, with multiple gilded onion domes topped by crosses, ornate white-and-gold trim on pale blue walls, set against a cloudy sky.

St Sophia, Kyiv, its ornate bell tower topped by a gilded onion dome and cross, with pale turquoise-and-white decorative facade and arched openings, set beside smaller green-roofed domes against a cloudy sky.

Richard Coombes@richtranslator· 9d

In May this year I went to Kyiv, partly as a tourist but mainly to attend the Kyiv Book Arsenal. Touristy post 6 of 7. Windows in my hotel, broken in a Russian attack a couple of days before my arrival.

Hotel Ukraine, Kyiv. Sidewalk and building entrance cordoned off after damage, with shattered glass and broken window frames scattered across the pavement, boarded-up openings along the stone façade, and temporary barriers displaying "No entry" signs.

Hotel Ukraine, Kyiv. Boarded-up windows in stone side wall of hotel, with tall vertical pilasters, next to a street sign reading "вулиця Інститутська 4" (4 Institutka Street).

Hotel Ukraine, Kyiv. Pedestrian path beside the hotel blocked by a metal barrier with "No entry" signs, the brick walkway and steps littered with shattered window glass and broken frames between the building wall and a row of trees.

$The restaurant, Hotel Ukraine, Kyiv. Large windowpane with long vertical spiderweb cracks radiating from a central break, sunlight glinting along the fracture lines and soft clouds reflected behind a partially drawn curtain.$

Richard Coombes@richtranslator· 9d

In May this year I went to Kyiv, partly as a tourist but mainly to attend the Kyiv Book Arsenal. Touristy post 5 of 7. Babyn Yar.

Informational sign in Ukrainian marking the Babyn Yar local landscape reserve, showing a park map, regulations and purpose text with a Ukrainian trident emblem, mounted on posts among dense green trees and foliage.

Babyn Yar, Kyiv. Rain-wet tiled park walkway lined with angled informational display panels and benches, surrounded by tall leafy trees with buildings visible in the distance.

Babyn Yar, Kyiv. Empty grassy clearing with two simple blue metal soccer goals and a dirt foreground, surrounded by dense green trees under a cloudy sky.

Babyn Yar, Kyiv. A narrow dirt hiking path cuts through dense green deciduous woods, flanked by tall trees and thick undergrowth, with a large textured tree trunk at left and a few broken concrete slabs visible in the foreground.

Richard Coombes@richtranslator· 10d

In May this year I went to Kyiv, partly as a tourist but mainly to attend the Kyiv Book Arsenal. Touristy post 4 of 7. The Holodomor Museum. A 1932 law forbade picking up even leftover ears of grain. Mill wheels of farmers who missed their quotas but were found with food in their houses were broken.

Gateway to the Holodomor Museum, Kyiv, framed by two carved mourning figures, a tall column topped with a flame beyond, stones marked 1932 and 1933, and two visitors walking toward it along a tree-lined path.

The Holodomor Museum, Kyiv. Bronze statue of a young girl with braided hair clutching 5 ears of wheat to her chest, leafy trees blurred in the background.

The Holodomor Museum, Kyiv. Tall white monument tower topped by a gold, flame-shaped spire against a pastel sunset, façade patterned with repeating cross motifs and metal latticework at the base, with a large tree on the left and small groups of visitors walking in the foreground.

The Holodomor Museum, Kyiv. Three weathered circular stone millstones rest along a grassy slope beside low stone steps, framed by a tree and dense green shrubs, with a wet, textured paved area in the foreground.

Richard Coombes@richtranslator· 10d

In May this year I went to Kyiv, partly as a tourist but mainly to attend the Kyiv Book Arsenal. This is touristy post 3 of 7. The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

Golden onion domes and white facades of the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, overlooking the Dnipro river, a tree-lined park and distant city skyline beneath a partly cloudy sky.

The tall, ornate bell tower of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, with its white columns and gilded dome rising above the historic monastery courtyard, green-roofed buildings and rain‑slick, flower-lined walkway under a cloudy sky.

Panoramic view of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, with green roofs and golden onion domes overlooking the Dnipro river and a bridge, framed by tree-lined banks and a distant city skyline under a cloudy sky.

Preserved fragment of an ancient brick-and-stone wall displayed in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra under an ornate wrought-iron canopy and protective fence in a courtyard, accompanied by an informational plaque and a decorated white building in the background.

Richard Coombes@richtranslator· 11d

In May this year I went to Kyiv, partly as a tourist but mainly to attend the Kyiv Book Arsenal. This is touristy post 2 of 7. Dnipro views.

Panoramic riverside Kyiv cityscape at dusk showing a curving riverfront promenade with traffic, historic and modern buildings along the quay, bridges in the distance, and leafy trees framing the foreground under a wide, cloud-streaked sky.

Panoramic view of the Dnipro river in Kyiv, crossed by a red-and-white suspension bridge, bordered by sandy beaches and dense green forest, with a distant city skyline under a blue sky.

Panoramic Kyiv riverside cityscape with a wide blue river in the foreground, a sandy tree-lined shore to the right, a modern arched cable-stayed bridge crossing the water, and clusters of high-rise buildings and construction cranes on the distant skyline.

Kyiv: Hilltop statue of Volodymyr the Great, on a wrapped pedestal and overlooking the Dnipro river and a pale pedestrian bridge, with a forested riverbank and distant city skyline framed by leafy trees and a riverside path where two people are walking.

Richard Coombes@richtranslator· 11d

In May this year I went to Kyiv, partly as a tourist but mainly to attend the Kyiv Book Arsenal. This is touristy post 1 of 7. Майдан Незалежності (Independence Square). A general view by day; the same view from my hotel window by night and then day; the Maidan on Kyiv Day.

Kyiv's most famous Maidan (square), with its war memorial, a large "Я ❤ УКРАЇНУ" sign, rows of candles on the steps and hundreds of Ukrainian flags, flowers and tributes gathered before a columned government building and an ornate tower.

Kyiv's most famous Maidan (square): a central illuminated victory column in a mostly empty, warmly lit square with surrounding formal buildings, glass-domed underground entrances, tree-lined lawns and streets extending into a deep blue night sky.

Maidan Nezalezhnosti in Kyiv at golden hour, with the tall Independence column topped by a golden winged statue, the circular plaza, grassy rooftop pavilions and surrounding historic government and residential buildings beneath a wide, partly cloudy sky.

Independence Monument in Kyiv’s central Maidan square lit vertically in red, white and green at sunset, topped by a golden angel with a wreath, with the plaza, fountains, pedestrians and city skyline bathed in warm orange light.

Richard Coombes@richtranslator· 12d

In April this year I went to Lviv. Here are the Field of Mars resting place of those killed by Russia in the current war, the quirky cafe-bar травень ('May'), built from nothing by evacuees from Kharkiv, and the grave of Solomiia Krushelnitska, famous relative of @imperfectimpostor.bsky.social.

The Field of Mars cemetery, Lviv, resting place of those killed by Russia in the current war.

Grave of the famous Ukrainian actress Solomiia Krushelnitska, Lviv.

Richard Coombes@richtranslator· 12d

In April 2026 I went to Lutsk, Ukraine, where I met my friend Ihor, who treated me to a meal and a tour of Lutsk Castle. Also pictured here is the memorial to those killed by Russia in the current war, and the lovely statue of Lesia Ukrainka by day and night.

Me with my friend Ihor at Lutsk Castle, Lutsk, Ukraine, April 2026

Photos of those killed in Russia's war against Ukraine, Lutsk, April 2026

Statue of Lesia Ukrainka, seen in daylight, Lutsk, April 2026

Statue of Lesia Ukrainka, seen lit up at night, Lutsk, April 2026

Richard Coombes@richtranslator· 13d

In April 2026 I went to Ternopil, where I met my teacher Anna, found a statue of Solomiia Krushelnitska (the relative of my friend @imperfectimpostor.bsky.social), saw the memorial to those killed by Russia, which every Ukrainian settlement has, a memorial to victims of the Holodomor, and much else.

Theatre Square, Ternopil, Ukraine, with photographs of those killed Russia's war on Ukraine and a statue of famous actress Solomiia Krushelnitska.

Ternopil: memorial to Holodomor victims: a large weathered limestone boulder topped with a small sheaf of wheat tied in a blue-and-yellow ribbon and a plaque reading "ЖЕРТВАМ ГОЛОДОМОРУ" set against a textured stone wall.

Richard Coombes@richtranslator· 22d

The Russian woman famously crying in Crimea

Richard Coombes@richtranslator· May 22

A row of colourful Ukrainian socks on a washing line

Richard Coombes@richtranslator· Dec 7

Richard Coombes@richtranslator· Nov 22

Well, this is an extract from an email I wrote to my Member of Parliament on 17 February 2025, a few months after he had been elected:

Richard Coombes@richtranslator· Nov 16

So the publisher Anetta Antonenko, who asked me to translate extracts of Liubko Deresh's novel "Medusa's Gaze", has now asked me to translate an extract of Yevhenia Kononenko's literary non-fiction book "Той божевільний рік".

The cover of Yevhenia Kononenko's book "Той божевільний рік" shows a hand help up against a black background, palm facing the viewer, fingers not quite straight, with a hole through the centre of the palm from which blood is seeping.

Richard Coombes@richtranslator· Sep 13

Yes trump is Agent Krasnov, so no good will ever come from him. But isn’t it a fact that many “allies” of Ukraine are funding Russia’s war?

Richard Coombes@richtranslator· Sep 9

Richard Coombes@richtranslator· Aug 24

З Днем Незалежності України! 🇺🇦🌻Happy Independence Day, Ukraine!

Richard Coombes@richtranslator· Aug 5

I've been asked to translate parts of Lubko Deresh's novel Погляд Медузи for the Frankfurt Book Fair and for other pitches to anglophone publishers. I've done only poems for months, and I'm trying to remember what it felt like to translate 105,000 words, so that I can face these 7750! #translation

Richard Coombes@richtranslator· Jul 26

I don’t know how Yevhenia Kuznetsova writes as she does. She’s a genius at seeing inside people, reading their motivations, hearing their speech. Unfortunately I’m already more than three-quarters of the way through her latest novel and I’ve read the others. #ukraine #ukrainianliterature #langsky

Cover of Вівці цілі, Yevhenia Kuznetsova’s latest novel. Predominantly dark blue - night time, a sheep apparently standing on a rooftop howling up at a full moon. I haven’t finished the book, and don’t know why this is the cover! If I’ve misunderstood it, I’ll post again.

Richard Coombes@richtranslator· Jul 21

I told my friend in Cherkasy I'd bought a new fridge and it’s perfect except that really the door should open the other way; rehanging it requires effort. Seeing the future in a flash, she replied, «Немає нічого більш постійного, ніж тимчасове». “There’s nothing so permanent as something temporary”.

Small white fridge in alcove, door ajar. Door can be seen to open in a manner that leaves the door, when open, partially blocking access to the fridge. Rehanging the door to open the other way, which is possible and for which I have instructions, would solve the problem.

Richard Coombes@richtranslator· Jul 5

Another poem by the Ukrainian poetess Marina Ponomarenko.

Richard Coombes@richtranslator· Jul 4

At Marina Ponomarenko's invitation, I have participated in a Ukrainian Center for Civil Liberties project called "Тримайся! Тримаюсь!" ("Hold on!" "I'm holding on!") designed to publicise the treatment by Russia of prisoners in Russia's latest war on Ukraine. Project Insta link: buff.ly/Kxoa781...

Richard Coombes@richtranslator· Jul 3

Here is a newly-minted poem by the Ukrainian poetess Marina Ponomarenko. A clip of her reading the poem in situ in the countryside can be found on Facebook, and the importance of hearing the original sounds has persuaded me to include a link to her reading. www.facebook.com/share/r/1B8G...

Richard Coombes@richtranslator· Jun 14

Like London buses, my translations of Marina Ponomarenko get bunched up in the traffic and all arrive together. Well, anyway, the last two did. Here is number 11.

Richard Coombes@richtranslator· Jun 12

A light in the darkness. Yevhenia Kuznetsova has written a new book

A page from вівці цілі, with just the title and author’s name and a tiny graphic which I regret I won’t understand until I’ve read the book.

Richard Coombes@richtranslator· May 24

Marina Ponomarenko published this poem on 4 March 2022. Now seems as good as any other day for us to see it again. My ninth translation of her work.