Russia's overnight attack destroys around 800,000 Ukrainian books
According to BookChef, the central warehouse of their logistics partner — where their books were stored — was completely destroyed.
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Kate Tsurkan
Culture ReporterKate Tsurkan is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent who writes mostly about culture-related topics. Her newsletter Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan, which focuses specifically on Ukrainian culture, is published weekly by the Kyiv Independent and is partially supported by a generous grant from the Nadia Sophie Seiler Fund. Kate co-translated Oleh Sentsov’s “Diary of a Hunger Striker,” Myroslav Laiuk’s “Bakhmut,” Andriy Lyubka’s “War from the Rear,” and Khrystia Vengryniuk’s “Long Eyes,” among other books. Some of her previous writing and translations have appeared in the New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Harpers, the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and elsewhere. She is the co-founder of Apofenie Magazine and, in addition to Ukrainian and Russian, also knows French.
Articles
Train collision with minibus reported in Ukraine's northwestern Rivne Oblast
A minibus collided with a train at a crossing in northwestern Rivne Oblast, Ukraine's state railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia reported on July 2. There are "preliminary reports" of casualties.
Why this prominent Ukrainian female writer voluntarily joined the army
The Kyiv Independent’s Kate Tsurkan speaks with Ukrainian author and soldier Kateryna Zarembo about her decision to join Ukraine’s military, the realities of serving as a combat medic, and how Russia’s full-scale invasion has reshaped her relationship with writing.
Behind the lies of the latest guest on Tucker Carlson's podcast — a criminal Russian arms dealer
In 2022, American commentator Tucker Carlson condemned the U.S. giving up Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in a prisoner swap, calling him "an indisputably serious criminal" who "sold weapons to terror groups that killed Americans."
Just four years later, Carlson welcomed Bout on his podcast to promote Russian talking points to his millions of viewers.
"I can understand why (former U.S. President) Barack Obama wanted to put you in prison," Carlson laughingly told Bout, praising the arms dealer
Burning tradition — How Mykhail Semenko ignited a new path forward for Ukrainian poetry
Editor's Note: This story is part of the "Hidden Canon" – a special series celebrating Ukrainian classic literature and aiming to bring it to a wider international audience. The series is supported by the Ukrainian Institute.
Literary giants are typically regarded with an almost sacred reverence. For the 20th Ukrainian poet Mykhail Semenko, however, reverence was overrated. He was prepared to set tradition ablaze — literally — to clear the way for a new artistic future.
“I want to tell you th
Ukraine's wartime action thriller 'Killhouse' reaches global audience on Netflix
Ukraine's new action film "Killhouse" is set to reach a global audience, hitting the Netflix streaming platform on June 26 in Ukraine, with international distribution planned for autumn.
Few scenes hit as hard in "Killhouse" as when Ukrainian soldiers decide to launch a high-risk mission to rescue a near-death civilian from the gray zone, a territory sandwiched between Ukrainian and Russian lines.
In the film, the Russian commander watching them from his position assumes that the civilian bein
'My first impression was it's hell' — Belarusian prison memoir brings attention back to Lukashenko's repressions
In a Belarusian prison, it's a simple note — "We are with you" — hidden inside a chocolate bar from a volunteer aid package that can move political prisoners to tears. In their tightly monitored environment, where isolation itself is a form of punishment, such gestures take on an almost sacred significance.
Hanna Komar's memoir "When I'm Out Of Here: Staying Human in a Dictator's Jail" details how these fleeting acts of solidarity become a means of holding on when living in an authoritarian reg
Zelensky to skip recovery conference in Poland, Ukraine's PM to lead delegation
"Our team has a clear task — to achieve concrete agreements that will enhance Ukraine’s defense capability and resilience, and expand economic cooperation with our partners," Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said on June 23.
‘Still looking for my place’ — Ukrainian author Kateryna Zarembo on joining the military
Kateryna Zarembo has spent years researching and telling important stories from Ukraine. As a researcher and writer, she famously captured the cultural and linguistic richness of eastern Ukraine through field work while Russian propaganda tried to erase it. Her book "Ukrainian Sunrise" stands as evidence that Donbas was never, as the Kremlin claimed, a "Russian" region but one with deep Ukrainian roots.
Then the full-scale invasion came, and the need to tell stories stopped.
Today, Zarembo i
Former director of Mariupol museum accused of aiding in Russian theft of Ukraine's cultural heritage
The paintings, valued at around Hr 26.3 million (approximately $586,000), have since been unlawfully listed in the Russian Culture Ministry's register of museum valuables.
Magyar orders investigation into 'gold convoy' case that caused Hungary-Ukraine rift under Orban
"The Prosecutor General must address the matter without delay," Magyar wrote on X on June 17.
Canada announces new Russia sanctions after Carney, Zelensky meeting at G7 Summit
The latest sanctions package will target 162 individuals, entities, and vessels related to Russia's shadow fleet, its energy revenues, and its defense, industrial, and disinformation sectors.
'One of the holiest places' — Why Kyiv's ancient Pechersk monastery is so important for Ukraine
The Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, one of Orthodox Christianity's oldest and most sacred monasteries, was among the targets in Russia's latest overnight attack on June 15.
Images of the religious site in flames sparked outrage and horror throughout Ukraine and the world.
"(T)he roof of one of the holiest places in the Christian world — the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra — is burning," Metropolitan Epiphanius, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, wrote on X o
When Ukraine takes key step toward Europe, Russian star will be performing next door
As Ukraine and Moldova move closer to the European Union on June 15, Russian opera star Anna Netrebko will take the stage at the Philharmonie Luxembourg next door.
The contrast reflects a growing, worrying trend across Europe where some of the Russian cultural figures once boycotted after 2022 for their views are steadily being normalized again.
Ukraine's embassy to Belgium and Luxembourg published a press release on June 10, expressing concern over Netrebko's planned performance.
"For many y
French presidential contender meets with Zelensky in Kyiv
Edouard Philippe has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine since the start of the full-scale war.
