POETS IN ZAPORIZHZHIA ｜ Koryu meets Chess

‘Hush! You’ll be

waking him,

I’m afraid,

if you make so much noise.’

‘Well, it’s no use your talking

about waking him,’

said Tweedledum,

‘when you’re only

one of the things

in his dream.

You know very well

you’re not real.’

‘I am real!’ said Alice,

and began to cry.

‘I am real!’ said Alice,

and began to cry.

Like thousands of.

Other residents.

Of Zaporizhzhia.

He has spent years.

Working for local.

Steel factory Zaporizhstal.

Like thousands of.

Other residents.

For generations.

It has been the biggest and.

Richest source of employment.

In this major ‘elves’ city.

“Zaporizhstal is not.

Just a big company.

It’s the heart.

Of the city.”

‘You won’t make yourself

a bit realler by crying,’

Tweedledee remarked:

‘there’s nothing to cry about.’

‘If I wasn’t real,’ Alice said

– half-laughing through her tears,

it all seemed so ridiculous –

‘I shouldn’t be able to cry.’

Now, following a series.

Of ‘orcs’ missile strikes.

This heart has.

Stopped beating.

The huge factory that.

Employs 8,500 people.

Shut down indefinitely.

After four waves.

Of ‘orcs’ attacks.

– two in August.

And two in September.

‘I hope you don’t suppose

those are real tears?’

Tweedledum interrupted

in a tone of great contempt.

‘I know they’re talking nonsense,’

Alice thought to herself:

‘and it’s foolish

to cry about it.’

“All the equipment.

Has been almost.

Completely destroyed.

There are no windows left.”

“And there are holes.

In the roofs.

The blast furnaces have been.

Almost completely ruined.”

So she brushed away her tears,

and went on

as cheerfully as she could,

‘At any rate

I’d better be getting out

of the wood,

for really it’s coming on

very dark.

‘Orcs’ fired a total.

Of 17 missiles.

At Zaporizhstal.

According to the man.

The chief operating officer.

Of steelworks owner Metinvest.

Eight workers were killed.

And 31 wounded.

“We’re now clearing rubble.

And trying to plan recovery.”

“We’re now clearing rubble.

And trying to plan recovery.”

Do you think it’s going to rain?’

Tweedledum spread

a large umbrella over

himself and his brother,

and looked up into it.

‘No, I don’t think it is,’

he said: ‘at least

– not under here. Nohow.’

At the moment.

It is far from.

Certain Zaporizhstal will.

Ever start up again.

‘Orcs’ persistent campaign.

Of air strikes against.

‘Elves’ metallurgical plants.

Started in August.

By now, all of them.

Have been hit.

Some several times.

This is a key sector.

Of the ‘elves’ economy.

And naturally an attractive target.

For ‘Mordor’.

‘But it may rain outside?’

‘It may – if it chooses,’

said Tweedledee:

‘we’ve no objection.

Contrariwise.’

‘Selfish things!’ thought Alice,

and she was just going to say

‘Good-night’ and leave them,

Before the start of.

The full-scale invasion.

In 2022.

Metallurgy and mining.

Accounted for roughly.

10% of Ukraine’s GDP.

And a third of.

Its exports.

It provided employment.

For more than.

Half a million people.

And every 13th job.

In Ukraine was linked.

To the industry.

One way or another.

All this time

Tweedledee was trying his best

to fold up the umbrella,

with himself in it:

which was such

an extraordinary thing to do,

that it quite took off Alice’s attention

from the angry brother.

Because of.

The recent ‘orcs’ attacks.

It has all but.

Ground to a halt.

And its contribution.

To Ukraine’s GDP now.

“Is probably close to zero”.

Says the Metinvest’s officer.

Until recently.

His company was.

‘Elves’ biggest producer.

Of steel and iron.

But all its steelworks.

Are for now.

Out of action.

But he couldn’t quite succeed,

and it ended in his rolling over,

bundled up in the umbrella,

with only his head out:

and there he lay,

opening and shutting his mouth

and his large eyes – ‘looking more like

a fish than anything else,’ Alice thought.

“Clearly, they’re.

Trying to stop.

‘Elves’ economy and.

Stop Ukraine.”

“From getting export money.

From abroad.

From paying.

Taxes and wages.”

“From ensuring that.

Cities live and.

People have jobs.”

“Their efforts have been.

Very effective so far.”

“Their efforts have been.

Very effective so far.”

‘Of course you agree

to have a battle?’

Tweedledum said

in a calmer tone.

‘I suppose so,’

the other sulkily replied,

as he crawled out

of the umbrella:

The damage to the metals industry.

Could have devastating consequences.

For ‘elves’ economy and.

For ‘elves’ society.

Ukraine had 12 metallurgical plants.

Before losing parts of.

Its industrial heartland.

In the east.

Shortly after the start.

Of hostilities with ‘Mordor’.

In 2014.

‘only she must help us

to dress up, you know.’

‘only she must help us

to dress up, you know.’

So the two brothers

went off hand-in-hand

into the wood,

and returned in a minute

By 2018.

There were just nine.

And three years.

Into the full-scale war.

In 2025.

That number had fallen.

To six.

Among those lost were.

The Azovstal and Illich plants.

In Mariupol.

‘Elves’ south-eastern city.

Captured after.

A months-long ‘orcs’ siege.

with their arms full of things

– such as bolsters, blankets,

hearth-rugs, table-cloths,

dish-covers and coal-scuttles.

‘I hope you’re

a good hand at pinning

and tying strings?’

Tweedledum remarked.

Among the steel-making cities.

Caught up in ‘orcs’.

Recent missile campaign is.

‘Gandalf the Green’’s home city.

Of Kryvyi Rih.

On 25 September.

‘Elves’ biggest steelworks.

Arcelor Mittal Kryvyi Rih.

Announced it was.

Unable to reopen.

After repeated attacks.

Over five weeks.

Praising the bravery.

Of its workers.

Five of whom had died.

‘Every one of these things

has got to go on,

somehow or other.’

Alice said afterwards

she had never seen

such a fuss made about

anything in all her life

The Local Defence Council head.

Issued an emergency address.

To the city’s residents.

In which he spoke of.

A “very serious blow”.

That would affect more than.

Just thousands of jobs.

The situation.

He admitted.

Was very difficult.

– the way those two bustled about

– and the quantity of things they put on

– and the trouble they gave her

in tying strings and fastening buttons –

‘Really they’ll be more like

bundles of old clothes

than anything else,

by the time they’re ready!’

“It is taxes feeding into.

Our community’s budget.

They provided funds.

For keeping.”

“They provided funds.

For keeping.

The city’s infrastructure running.

Repairing heating plants.”

“And their pipes.

Funds for nursery schools.

Social services and.

Many other things.”

she said to herself,

as she arranged a bolster

round the neck

of Tweedledee,

‘to keep his head

from being cut off,’

as he said.

Taxes paid by.

Metal-making companies.

Taxes paid by.

Metal-making companies.

Have funded 30-70%.

Of local government.

Spending in their host cities.

Says the head of a consultancy.

“In other words.

The physical survival of.

These cities depended.

On these companies.”

“This is a catastrophic problem.

For ‘elves’ economy.

Before the war.”

“The mining and.

Metallurgical industry.

Was a key industry.

It was always.”

“The biggest investor.

In the economy.

Investing $2bn-$3bn.

A year on average.”

‘You know,’ he added very gravely.

‘it’s one of the most serious things

that can possibly happen

to one in a battle

– to get one’s head cut off.’

Alice laughed loud:

but she managed to turn it

into a cough,

If the steelworks remain shut.

Hundreds of thousands.

Of people may.

Lose their jobs.

And the resulting waves.

Of migration will reach.

Far beyond Ukraine.

He warned.

“A humanitarian catastrophe.

Is looming.”

“A humanitarian catastrophe.

Is looming.”

for fear of hurting his feelings.

‘Do I look very pale?’

said Tweedledum, coming up

to have his helmet tied on.

(He called it a helmet,

though it certainly looked

much more like a saucepan.)

‘Well – yes – a little,’

The end of steelmaking.

In Ukraine.

Would also have.

Severe consequences.

For its defence capabilities.

And reconstruction.

Steel is vital for.

Producing military equipment.

As well as for making shelters.

And repairing countless buildings.

Damaged by ‘orcs’.

Alice replied gently.

‘I’m very brave generally,’

he went on in a low voice:

‘only to-day I happen to have a headache.’

‘And I’ve got a toothache!’

said Tweedledee,

who had overheard the remark.

‘I’m far worse than you!’

‘Mordor’ has justified.

Its attacks.

On the steel plants.

For that reason.

Alleging that the plants.

In Zaporizhzhia and.

Kryvyi Rih were all.

Producing military hardware.

“We attempted.

Relaunching Zaporizhstal.

We restarted a furnace.

And it worked for 10 hours.”

“Before there was.

Another air strike.”

The Metinvest’s officer told.

A conference in Kyiv.

There was no point yet.

On spending money.

On recovery as the situation.

Was unclear, he added.

‘Then you’d better not fight to-day,’

said Alice thinking it

a good opportunity

to make a peace.

‘We must have a bit of a fight,

but I don’t care about

going on long,’

said Tweedledum.

Even if production.

Were to resume.

It would not be business.

As usual.

For ‘elves’ steelmakers.

Any time soon.

For ‘elves’ steelmakers.

Any time soon.

‘What’s the time now?’

Tweedledee looked at

his watch, and said

‘Half-past four.’

‘Let’s fight till six,

and then have dinner,’

said Tweedledum.

‘Very well,’ the other said,

‘Orcs’ attacks on railways.

Have made transporting.

Their products within Ukraine.

Difficult and dangerous.

And strikes against ports.

Have turned exports.

Into a lethal lottery.

“Ports have essentially.

Been blocked.

Every ship is at risk.

Of being attacked.”

“And their chances.

Are 50-50.

– either you make it.

Or you don’t.”

rather sadly:

‘and she can watch us

– only you’d better not come

very close,’ he added:

‘I generally hit everything

I can see

– when I get really excited.’

EU quotas on steel imports.

Introduced on 1 July.

May compound the problems.

Faced by Ukraine.

But the Zaporizhstal worker.

Remains upbeat.

His colleagues are.

Doing their bit.

To revive the factory.

Clearing away rubble.

And fixing whatever.

Can be fixed.

‘And I hit everything

within reach,’ cried Tweedledum,

‘whether I can see it or not.’

Alice laughed.

‘You must hit the trees pretty often,

I should think,’ she said.

Tweedledum looked round him

with a satisfied smile.

“This is similar.

To what the military.

Do in the trenches.”

“Ordinary people are fighting.

To keep the factory alive.

Like soldiers.”

‘I don’t suppose,’ he said.

‘there’ll be a tree left standing,

for ever so far round,

by the time we’ve finished!’

‘And all about a rattle!’

said Alice still hoping

to make them a little ashamed

of fighting for such a trifle.

‘I shouldn’t have minded

It so much,’

said Tweedledum,

‘if it hadn’t been a new one.’

‘I wish the monstrous crow

would come!’ thought Alice.

‘I wish the monstrous crow

would come!’ thought Alice.

*Because I read “Ukraine’s prized steel industry left in ruins by Russian missile campaign” by Vitaly Shevchenko on 29 Sep 2026 on the BBC news, and also “Why are Ukrainians calling Russians ‘orcs’?” by James FitzGerald on 30 Apr 2022 on the BBC news.
So, I wrote this poem, including a story of Maksyshko and a story of Myronenko, led by ‘THROUGH the LOOKING-GLASS’ written by Lewis Carroll, you know.
Please read the original story, either on the BBC news or on the BBC news Ukraine:

Ukraine’s prized steel industry left in ruins by Russian missile campaign

Як Росія зруйнувала українську металургію – BBC News Україна