Poet and Military Man ‘David’ Was Among the First Carolers for His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Accompanied by Friends
On December 27, on the day of St. Stephen the First Martyr, His Beatitude Sviatoslav was visited by writer and military man Artur Dron (call-sign “David”). He met with the Head of the UGCC on the last day of his vacation and prior to the presentation in Kyiv of his poetry anthology “We Were Here,” in which he describes his own experience of war and speaks of love through the eyes of a soldier. The poetry of the soldier of the 125th Brigade of the Territorial Defense, a faithful of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, deeply touched His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
Arthur Dron visited the Head of the Church with his friends: volunteer Bohdan Ivanus and veteran Ivan Shchur. Having come to the house, the young men greeted His Beatitude with a carol without realizing that they had become the first messengers of the Christmas news this year. “The Lord God has brought you to our house as the first carolers,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav, thanking them for their visit.
During the meeting, Arthur presented his book “We Were Here” to the Head of the UGCC, reading and discussing several pieces with him. He also spoke about his comrades and military service and thanked His Beatitude Sviatoslav and all the clergy and faithful of the UGCC for their prayers and support, “which we feel very much there, at the front.”
According to the military man, the most valuable work he wanted to share with the Head of the Church was First Corinthians, which tells about love through the eyes of a military man
“I am deeply grateful for these poems,” His Beatitude addressed David. “It’s essential that all of us who pray for you and offer support also get to hear your voice. Thank you for your courage in putting pen to paper and expressing the phrases, emotions, and feelings experienced during the war through poetry. This kind of courage is truly special—it’s akin to giving birth to a child because a poet’s verses are like offspring born from their soul. What you’ve placed in my hands is your poetic creation, born in the cold dugouts, a testament to the love and experiences of a Ukrainian soldier.”
His Beatitude Sviatoslav emphasized the significance of recording the war experience.
“Your poems serve as a chronicle of the war. Everyone perceives and experiences the war in their own way. As a member of the military, you witness the war through the eyes of those who understand how to win it. To win not only the battle, but to win the war itself is an art designated for Christians alone. Your most important poem portraying love with its legs wounded — something remarkably powerful. Perhaps few people have encountered love from this perspective of their lives,” said the Head of the UGCC.
Arthur Drone’s anthology of poems, “We Were Here,” is a charity book. The proceeds from this book, sent by both Arthur Drone and Old Lion Publishing House, go to the Voices of Children Foundation, which provides care for children affected by war. Arthur Drone’s poems have been translated into more than ten languages, with a complete book published in Sweden even before its release in Ukraine.
The UGCC Department for Information
