The Maksym Kryvtsov Foundation: Participants of the “Memory Polis” Forum 

The Maksym “Dali” Kryvtsov Foundation was established by his family and friends in January 2024 to preserve the memory and creative legacy of the poet and soldier. Representatives of the Foundation took part in the “Memory Polis” Forum, held by VETERANKA at the KSE Dragon Capital Building on January 23.

Maksym “Dali” Kryvtsov participated in the Revolution of Dignity and, in 2014, volunteered to join the front lines. He defended, among other areas, Pisky and Avdiivka in the Donetsk region. After demobilization, he worked at the YARMIZ Center for Reintegration and Rehabilitation of ATO and JFO participants and at the Veteran Hub charitable organization. He joined the children’s project “Colorful Raccoons” as a photographer and mentor. On February 24, 2022, when the full-scale invasion began, Dali rejoined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served as a machine gunner in the Special Operations Forces, fighting in the Kyiv, Kharkiv, Kherson, Luhansk, and Donetsk regions.
He was killed in action on January 7, 2024, during combat in the Kharkiv region.

The Foundation shares Maksym’s story through literary evenings, photo exhibitions, and charitable events highlighting his creative work and heroic path. In the past year alone, the Foundation organized 12 literary evenings, 7 of them abroad.
These gatherings are spaces where Maksym’s poems are read aloud, where loved ones and friends share memories, and where audiences become part of a collective conversation about memory and presence. Participants are also invited to donate to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine. For example, a reading event in Pervomaisk raised funds to purchase searchlights for air defense units.

The Foundation has also organized 15 photo exhibitions, with support from Ukrainian diasporas in the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Japan, and France. The photographs were later digitized and presented in the special project “Dali: I Will Take Back My Life, I Promise.” Each image is accompanied by the poet’s verses. The website also features key milestones from Maksym’s life, along with memories shared by those close to him.

The creative collective “Motloh” staged a theater performance based on Maksym Kryvtsov’s poems. According to the Foundation, this is a way to convey the power of his words and his inner spirit through the language of theater. The performance has been shown in Rivne and Kyiv, as well as in Poland.

Over the past years, the Foundation has contributed to the event “Executed Culture,” dedicated to Ukrainian artists killed as a result of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The Foundation has also produced merchandise inspired by Maksym’s creative work. The designs of three types of T-shirts were approved by Kryvtsov during his lifetime. The shirts feature lines from his poems in Ukrainian and English. In addition to T-shirts, the Foundation has released tote bags, socks, and postcards—items that serve as carriers of memory.

On January 22, Maksym “Dali” Kryvtsov’s birthday, the Foundation is organizing a memorial evening at the cultural space Squat17B in Kyiv. Admission is free, with the option to donate—funds will go toward purchasing 125 different drones and 300 initiation boards for 13 units operating in the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, and Sumy regions.

“This event continues so that we can remember, talk, be together, and share warmth. On this evening, we will gather to embrace those who have come to celebrate Dali. We will mark the day by recalling Maksym, reading his poems, and singing the songs written based on his verses. We will keep the traditions in every detail, so of course there will be chips and cola on the tables—just as Max liked,” the Foundation says.