The Northern Route: Stories from the War That Must Be Told.
Book presentation
Berlin, Panda Platforma
November 6, 19:00
Supported by Civil Society Cooperation and the Auswärtiges Amt
“This book was made possible thanks to thousands of volunteers who will keep working every day—until the war stops.”
In war, you hear many sounds: explosions, commands, cries.
But the most important words are the ones whispered.
They rarely make it into official records, yet they stay in the memory of those who dared to listen.
The Northern Route is a collection of such voices.
Women volunteers recorded the stories of people who survived bombings, loss, and cold—yet somehow found the strength to keep going.
Each page is an encounter: at a checkpoint, in an overcrowded car, or in the quiet of a stranger’s apartment where one can finally breathe out.
On November 6, we will gather at Panda Platforma in Berlin to listen to these voices together.
The evening will feature a conversation with journalists about how the book came to be, readings from the text, and reflections on women’s perspectives on war and solidarity.
This will be more than a book presentation — it will be a space for shared listening.
Because sometimes, to listen is to act.
Participants:
Zhenya Berezhnaya is a Ukrainian writer, podcaster, PEN Center Germany fellow, and a popularizer of fairy-tale motifs in contemporary literature. She explores the magical and mythological elements in prose and uses them to address current issues. In 2024, her autobiographical novel ”(Not) About the War” was published by Meduza Publishing — a story about the loss of home, betrayal, and true miracles.
Dinara Rasuleva is a poet and performance artist. She is of Tatar origin and by profession a linguist and translator. Since 2016, she has been performing at poetry readings and slams in Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, and Kazakhstan. She has appeared in the cultural program of the Free Russia Forum in Lithuania and at the Slovonovo Forum of Russian Culture. Winner of two Russian-language poetry slams in Berlin. She lives in Berlin.
Filipp Dzyadko is a writer, philologist, and creator of educational projects dedicated to history and culture, as well as a staff member at Zukunft Memorial. He is the co-founder of Arzamas, holds a PhD in Philology, and is the author of the book Through the Eyes of a Lizard: A Reading Diary of a Nonexistent Book (2020), devoted to the poetry of Mikhail Aizenberg.
Maria Agni is an actress and theatre practitioner. She works at the intersection of art, education, and activism, collaborating with NGOs and civic initiatives. In her often documentary-based projects, she addresses political and social issues such as the culture of memory, totalitarianism, antisemitism, and social justice.
Antonina Zikeeva is an actress, screenwriter, producer, and human rights advocate. She is the co-founder of the humanitarian project Peredachi.Moscow, which provides aid to political prisoners, and the coordinator of Horizonte.Exilhilfe, an organization assisting applicants for humanitarian visas. Since 2022, she has been living in Germany, participating in civic anti-war and human rights initiatives, including creative projects that explore pressing social and political issues.
When: November 6, 19:00
Where: Panda Platforma, Knaackstraße 97, 10435 Berlin
The event will be held in Russian.
Admission is free.
Vidim Books — for the sake of kindness and peace.
PANDA platforma • Knaackstraße 97, 10435 Berlin, Berlin, Germany
