27 August 2026, 20:31
Yuriy Lutsenko presented his first book about the war in Odesa
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Photo: Natalka Dovbysh/Intent
Yuriy Lutsenko, a former Prosecutor General of Ukraine, military officer, and politician, presented his first literary work—the book *The Bird and the Ficus: A Deadly Vacation*. The event took place on August 27 in Odesa.
A photojournalist from Intenta attended the presentation.
The event took place in the Greek Hall of the Odesa Ukrainian Theater on Pastera Street.
What the book is about
It is a novella in the military-punk genre. According to the plot, two Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers—assault trooper Fikus and UAV operator Ptak—find themselves in an unfamiliar place that resembles a sanatorium, a Buddhist monastery, and a secret laboratory all at once.
Friends and comrades-in-arms try not to lose themselves and to understand the purpose of their stay there. Their main task is to find a way out and return home.
The book’s fantastical plot helps readers seek answers to questions about Ukrainian history and contemporary politics. First and foremost: why the war began and how to win it.
What the Author Said
According to Lutsenko, the book consists of conversations he had with his comrades during the war. The soldiers were searching for answers to questions such as: “Why did they attack us?”, “What did our politicians do—and what didn’t they do?”, “What was the Maidan?”, “What do China and the U.S. have to do with this?”, “Why are our allies providing us with so little help?”, “What is the meaning of life?”
The politician also shared a memory about the first book he ever read.
“I read my first book under the supervision of my older brother, who was preparing me to enter first grade at Rivne Secondary School No. 7. Serhiy drilled me with a stopwatch in hand, forcing me to read a thick tome about the Soviet border guard hero Karatsupa and his dog Indus. Since then, I’ve read thousands of books. And thus, I’ve lived thousands of lives. And now, for the first time, I’ve written my own,” Lutsenko said.
