Dmytro Lazutkin: Black Belt for Poetry

A poet, journalist and a sports commentator, born in 1978 in Kyiv. A metallurgical engineer by profession, he has published seven poetry collections in Ukrainian and one in Russian. He was awarded several literary awards, at home and abroad.  Also, he is a national champion in Cossack martial arts, has a black belt in kempo karate and has won the bronze medal in the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship. As a TV commentator, he hosted several sport programs and the Olympic games in Peking, Vancouver and London. He still presents box matches on the “Inter” station. His poem Requiem has been musically adapted by Ally Zahajkevyč to become a part of the oratory “God with Us” of the director Serhija Proskurni. This oratory has been dedicated to the soldiers who were fighting in Eastern Ukraine and it was performed on the Sofijiv Square during the celebrations of the 23rd anniversary of Ukraine´s independence.