Matvii Smirnov

Matvii Smirnov is a Ukrainian poet based in the United Kingdom. Born in Lviv, Ukraine, in 1974, he has lived in London since 2004. His Ukrainian poetry and English translations have been featured in various Ukrainian and international literary magazines and anthologies, including Dzvin (Lviv), Dnipro (Kyiv), Khreschatyk (Germany), Of Poets & Poetry (US). Matvii is the author of the poetry collection Shibboleth (Шібболет, Kyiv, 2024). Beyond his literary work, he is engaged in industrial innovation, and serves as the founder and director of Shield UA, a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Translations in London Ukrainian Review:

Tetiana Vlasova, ‘dance my little bird, right in the middle of town.’

Contact: matveysmirnov@yahoo.com

Cover Image for Culture as Security

Culture as Security

• Issue 5 (October 2025)

This issue of the London Ukrainian Review takes a look at culture as a matter of national security. Highlighting the voices of cultural figures who defend Ukraine with arms, it also examines culture as a tool of Russia’s imperialist expansion, all the while insisting on a bond between cultural familiarity and political solidarity.

Sasha Dovzhyk
Cover Image for ‘Defeat the Enemy and Liberate the Space’: Peter Pomerantsev on Propaganda and Civic Culture

‘Defeat the Enemy and Liberate the Space’: Peter Pomerantsev on Propaganda and Civic Culture

• Issue 5 (October 2025)

How can Ukraine’s culture of resistance serve the country’s security? Olesya Khromeychuk spoke to Peter Pomerantsev about the subtleties of waging information warfare, the challenges of cultivating a world of truth and justice today, and creating the kind of space where democracy can be practised.

Olesya Khromeychuk
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