Maksym Oleksandrovych Kryvtsov (call sign "Dali," January 22, 1990 – January 7, 2024) was a Ukrainian poet, photographer, volunteer, and junior sergeant in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He first volunteered in 2014 and returned to service at the full-scale invasion. In 2023, he published his poetry collection Poems from the Trenches, named one of the best Ukrainian books by PEN Ukraine. Posthumously awarded the Order of Merit III class (2024) and the title Hero of Ukraine (2025).
❤️ He jokingly said he'd only become a classic if he died – such words remain unforgettable. 🐱 Alongside him at the frontline died his ginger cat, to whom he dedicated one of his final poems. 🎤 His poems were turned into songs by Yurcash – notably "Yellow Scotch," which featured in a film soundtrack. 🌺 He was fond of violets – they became a symbol of his gentle poetry amid war. 📸 Poems from the Trenches interweaves his wartime poetry with photographs he took on the front. 🔄 He returned to the front twice – in 2014 and then in 2022 – never spending a day alone. 🏅 Posthumously awarded the Order of Merit and the title Hero of Ukraine – recognition of his courage and words. 👥 Friends remember him as the one who carried a machine gun first, yet was a poet at heart. 🖋 For him, poetry was a living space – created even in a foxhole. 🎶 His words resonated through art – readings, concerts, and exhibitions.