Berestechko — Lina Kostenko

Berestechko is a historical novel in verse by Lina Kostenko, one of the most important voices in Ukrainian poetry. This is a Ukrainian-language edition published by A-ba-ba-ha-la-ma-ha.

The book returns to one of the darkest pages of Ukrainian history — the defeat of Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky's Cossack army at Berestechko in 1651. Kostenko began it in 1966–1967 and kept returning to it for decades, through the repression of the sixties and the stagnation that followed. Over time a story about one lost battle grew into a meditation on how a nation learns from defeat — and why a defeat is never the final word.

Written in the voice of a hetman who has lost everything except his conscience, Berestechko reads today with startling urgency. It is a book about responsibility, betrayal, faith and endurance — and about the stubborn hope that comes after catastrophe.

Who it's for: adult and older teen readers who love Ukrainian poetry, history and the big questions about freedom; readers who already know Kostenko's Marusia Churai.

Edition details: Publisher: A-ba-ba-ha-la-ma-ha · Year: 2025 · 224 pages · Hardcover · Black-and-white illustrations · Language: Ukrainian · ISBN 978-617-585-383-2