Oleksiy Chupa was born in 1986 in the city of Makiivka, in what is now the self-proclaimed “Donetsk People’s Republic.” He studied Ukrainian philology at Donetsk National University. Read More Since 2014, he has published several novels in Ukrainian, including Kazki mogo bomboschovišža (Tales from my Bomb Shelter), 10 sliv pro Vitčinzu (Ten Words about the Motherland), Bomši Donbasu (Donbas Tramps), Akvarium (Aquarium) and Višnja i ja (Cherry and I). In his writing, Chupa deals with themes of identity and social imbalance in the Donbas region, with a focus on the history of the Soviet Union and the early years of Ukrainian independence.