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"This is a book about the city..." - these words started the presentation of the edition "Dreams of Kherson" by a novelist, PhD in historical sciences Artem Petryk.

The writer survived eight months of occupation of his small homeland. He immediately began to document everything that was happening around him. Under the threat of being incarcerated "in the basement", he did not stop jotting down stories of acquaintances, his own reflections, confessions of eyewitnesses, and other stories.

The writer managed to survive until the liberation of the city and he immediately started working on the design of the book, which he presented today in the premises of the Museum’s Exhibition Center.

"Dreams of Kherson" is a collection of stories that reveal completely different aspects of the occupation and the live experience of many citizens.

During the presentation, Mr. Petryk told the audience one of the most poignant stories in the collection - "Unanswered Letters". During the occupation, the girl wrote letters to the e-mail address of her former lover. She shared everything she saw and felt. In the end, she died. But her messages live on.

In the rare moments when he managed to come across the Internet, the historian sent all his records to colleagues from Lithuania. He didn’t know if he would be able to survive, so he was anxious for that material to be published someday. Even if posthumously.

Many memories, thoughts, and questions from the guests were voiced at the meeting. One of them concerned creative plans. Artem Petryk answered that during the occupation he realized how fleeting life is, so he outlined his mission: to leave behind a literary and scientific legacy. And he promised to present more than one of his books at the Museum. We are looking forward to the new meetings!