Culture

The Hidden Canon: Discover Ukrainian literary classics

A Kyiv Independent project backed by the Ukrainian Institute

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A pair of soldiers stand back-to-back as they hold their rifles in an undated photo.
Culture

Ukraine's wartime action thriller 'Killhouse' reaches global audience on Netflix

by Kate Tsurkan

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

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What's behind Zelensky's surprise government reshuffle?

President Volodymyr Zelensky's decision on July 12 to reshuffle the government came as a surprise to many — both on the streets and in the halls of parliament. According to the Constitution, the president cannot single-handedly dismiss the prime minister. Yet lawmakers who spoke with the Kyiv Independent appeared largely unfazed by Zelensky's move to replace Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko, which parliament rubber-stamped on July 14. The reasons behind the reshuffle remain unclear. Many lawma

Ukraine war latest: 'Revenge is inevitable' — Ukraine sinks Russian border guard ship involved in 2018 Kerch Strait attack

Key developments on July 14: * 'Revenge is inevitable' — Ukraine sinks Russian border guard ship involved in 2018 Kerch Strait attack * June deadliest month for civilians in Ukraine since April 2022, U.N. says * Ukraine hits 2 Russian oil refineries, 11 vessels in strike spanning hundreds of miles * Head of Ukraine's state-run defense giant steps down week after deadly Vyshneve depot blast * Russian attacks kill 7, injure 78 across Ukraine over past day as Kyiv comes under another ballisti

About Culture

Our reporting on literature, films, art, and traditions from Ukraine and the latest news on culture in Eastern Europe.

Ukrainian culture
Ukrainian culture has survived centuries of Russian attempts to appropriate Ukrainian art, silence Ukrainian artists, and erase the Ukrainian language. Modern Ukrainian writers, filmmakers, and musicians — some of whom are serving on the front lines — continue to develop Ukrainian culture and fight for Ukraine’s future.
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