Hryhorii Falkovych, Rudy and the Milky Way
Illustrations by Iryna Potapenko
Translated from Ukrainian by Victor Fet
Kyiv: Oleg Fedorov Publishing House, 2024

Rudy is a terrier, a smart, faithful dog, forced by Russia’s war against Ukraine to accompany its master from Kiev to Kolomyia, a town in the west of the country. Eleven short poems tell us about the precarious life away from home, as experienced by Rudy. Now readers in the English-speaking world will also be able to accompany Rudy to his temporary new home. The casualties of war (any war), we are told, become stars in heaven. Hence the Milky Way. Rudy flies there in his dreams, and the entire book is dedicated to the animals that fled home and died while the war raged on.

The poems are composed with a light touch. Although they are addressed to children, signs of the war are ubiquitous: bombardment, shelters, signals of all clear, and frightening scenes on TV. Of course, the author endows Rudy with human-like thoughts: one can get used to sirens, we are told, but not to the tragic news from Bucha and Irpen. Stars are still there, but the trouble is that some inhabitants of the earth do not see them. Not for everyone stars twinkle in the dead of night.

In the meantime, Rudy familiarizes himself with new dogs and new smells. He is certainly not an isolationist! And he adds a note: “I’m supporting my people here, / And they are supporting me.” Mutual support is the leitmotif of the entire book. Those around Rudy are friendly, and everyone is of one mind: “We are guests, not refugees.” Nor is Rudy selfish. Although always ready for lunch, he never forgets about those starving in the beleaguered places. If it were in his power to feed the hungry everywhere, he would gladly share and even give away what he has.

The scene, as noted, is set in Kolomyia, and what a feast for the eyes and the nose it is on market day! Falkovych wisely alternates pictures of peace and war. While the family of “guests” (not “refugees”) stays in Kolomyia, a baby girl is born to them. She is tiny, but who knows, one day, she may become Rudy’s owner. Other than that, we are told that dogs, unlike people, can sort out the issues “of territory” in a friendly way. Of course, there are cats, but they are not enemies, are they?

The poet lets Rudy think of the home left behind and even wonder about the many places of worship in Kolomyia. He assures us that life never stops. This beautiful book owes its existence to the poet, the artist, the translator, the publisher, and a grant from the Ukrainian PEN. May it now bring joy to those who read it in English!