Some poems are born in the trenches before taking on a second life through music. Anastasiia Buniak is only twenty years old. She is the frontwoman and lead vocalist of the band Angy Kreyda, a Ukrainian alt-pop band founded in 2020 in the city of Rivne. As part of the ‘Fallen Rhymes’ project which aims to popularise military poetry through music by contemporary performers, Anastasiia spoke with us about the intergenerational solidarity that connects soldiers, artists and the wider society in Ukraine.
O.R – Why did you choose this poem, “ The Little Girl” written by Petro Maha, a fighter with the Volunteer Formation of the Feodosiivska Territorial Community?
A.B – This text touched me from the very first reading. There is no artificiality in it, nor any attempt to embellish reality. It is a deeply authentic story, written by someone who has witnessed war up close. I was especially struck by the image of a young girl taking on a responsibility that would seem overwhelming even for an adult. In her, I saw thousands of Ukrainian women who today defend their country, save lives, support others, and at the same time remain true to themselves.
O.R – Was poetry important in your life before working on this song?
A.B – Yes, poetry has always been a unique way for me to express what cannot easily be said in everyday language. A powerful poem can hold an entire universe within just a few lines. I am especially drawn to texts that leave space for emotion and for the reader’s or listener’s own experiences. That is why engaging with poetry has always felt like a natural and essential part of my creative work.
O.R – The atmosphere and feelings depicted in this poem are particularly challenging. You didn’t choose to emphasise the distress, pain and horror of war. Instead, your music plays with a very surprising contrast. Your pop interpretation is combined with a kind of childhood innocence. The melody itself is very catchy, like a nursery rhyme. Did you plan this from the start?
A.B – To some extent, yes. I wanted to avoid overt dramatisation. The text itself already contains enough pain. Instead, I was drawn to the contrast between the childlike nature of the character and the very adult trials she is forced to endure. That is why the music turned out lighter than one might expect. Sometimes the most powerful way to speak about tragedy is not through darkness, but through the light that darkness tries to consume. For me, this song is not about despair —it is about the inner strength of the human spirit.
O.R – The first image of the poem is striking: “A girl in uniform, a girl like a doll, is dragging a grown man from the battlefield”… Two generations are physically linked together through the war. As a member of a younger generation, I would love to hear your feelings about this image.
A.B – This image is very powerful because it challenges our usual assumptions about age, strength, and responsibility. War does not ask how old you are. It forces people to become stronger long before they are ready. I think many young Ukrainians today can recognise themselves in this image. We have all grown up much faster than we should have.
O.R – The song starts with “a girl in uniform, a snub-nosed girl” who eventually becomes a mother. In the future, she will explain to her own children what she went through during the war. Do you believe that poetry and music will play this role, later, in Ukraine, for new generations — acting as a testimony to what Ukrainians went through to defend their country?
A.B – I firmly believe so. History can be preserved in documents, statistics, and dates, but the emotions of a generation are preserved through art. Many years from now, people will be able to listen to a song or read a poem and feel what Ukrainians were experiencing today. Music and poetry do not replace history, but they help us feel it with our hearts. That is precisely why they are so important.
O.R – One last question: for whom do you sing this song?
A.B – For those who are living through the war today. For our defenders. For their families. For the people who wait, grieve, struggle, and refuse to give up.
But also for the future. For the children who will one day ask what was happening in Ukraine during this time. I hope this song can become a small part of the larger memory of the people who endured, stood firm, and preserved their country.
Interview conducted on June 26, 2026.
MUSIC CLIP of ” The Little Girl” by Angy Kreida, poem by Petro Maha
To visit Angy Kreyda‘s YouTube channel, click here.
Editor’s note : Fallen Rhymes is a project by the OVO Literary Agency. The curator of the project is Victoria Stepanets. The project is dedicated to supporting the Voices of Children Charitable Foundation: a portion of the royalties from each stream of the song is donated to assist families with children who are enduring the hardships of war, particularly the families of Ukrainian defenders.
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