“Wreaths of Flames” – a Polish-Ukrainian poetic performance in Drohobych

On 20 November 2025, the Polish-Ukrainian poetic performance “Wreaths of Flames” will close this year’s edition of the Second Autumn festival in Drohobych. It will bring a moving encounter between two traditions, two languages, and two poetics — Vasyl Mulik and Kazimierz Wierzyński — in a unique stage interpretation by Anna Próchniak and Yuriy Fedchuk. The project is being carried out in cooperation with the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.

“Wreaths of Flames” – a Polish-Ukrainian poetic performance as part of the “Poems in Shelters” series

On 20 November 2025, the Polish-Ukrainian poetic performance “Wreaths of Flames” will take place in Drohobych, closing this year’s edition of the Second Autumn festival. The event is also the fourth instalment of the “Poems in Shelters” series and will be presented in the shelter of the Yuri Drohobych Music and Drama Theatre (1 Teatralny Square). The reading of poems in the air-raid shelters in Drohobych, practised since 2022, is a symbolic gesture of resistance to Russian aggression, which, in the face of war, protects what is human and reminds us of the power of simple, clearly spoken words. You can read more about the initiative in an interview with its originator, literary critic Paweł Próchniak.

The performance “Wreaths of Flames” was based on poems by Vasyl Mulik and Kazimierz Wierzyński – two poets whose work, steeped in the experience of war, loss, and spiritual resilience, resonates in a unique, cross-cultural interpretation. The leading roles will be played by Anna Próchniak and Yuriy (Yurko) Fedchuk. 

Second Autumn 2025 – an international celebration of Bruno Schulz

The Second Autumn Festival, taking place on 19–20 November in Bruno Schulz’s hometown, is an annual cultural event dedicated to the artist, whose aim is to restore and preserve the memory of Schulz, reveal the hidden layers of the city’s history, and build intercultural dialogue through art, literature, and social activities. Its programme includes various scientific, artistic, and social events.

In 2025, the festival programme will consist of several events featuring researchers, artists, and cultural creators from Ukraine, Poland, and other countries. Among the invited guests are: Grzegorz Gauden, Katarzyna Kuczyńska-Koschany, Jolanta Kurska, Jarosław Kurski, Jacek Podsiadło, Anna Próchniak, Paweł Próchniak, Magdalena Rabizo-Birek, Paweł Reszka, Tomasz Różycki, Krzysztof Skibski, Monika Sznajderman, Alfred Wierzbicki, Bohdan Zadura.

“Wreaths of Flames” – presentation of the performance in a shelter in Drohobych, Ukraine.

• Performers: Anna Próchniak, Yurko Fedchuk.

• Date:  20 November 2025.

• Venue: Yuri Drohobych Music and Drama Theatre (1 Teatralny Square, Drohobych) / shelter.

• The series of events entitled “Second Autumn 2025” is organised by the Polish Studies Research and Information Centre at the University of Drohobych and the “Bruno Schulz Museum and Festival” Foundation, in cooperation with the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, the Polish PEN Club, the Polish Institute in Kyiv, the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Lviv, and the Word Anthropology Workshop in Lublin.