Culture

The Hidden Canon: Discover Ukrainian literary classics

A Kyiv Independent project backed by the Ukrainian Institute

Luke Harding's 'Betrayal' charts the collapse of the rules-based order — and who is to blame

by Kate TsurkanOctober 5, 2026

Luke Harding's “Betrayal: Trump, Putin and the New Age of Conquest" begins with a turning point in the full-scale war most people probably haven't spent enough time coming to terms with: North Korean soldiers getting ready to join the biggest land war in Europe since 1945. "Soon they would be stumbling through alien woods and fields, sent by one dictator to help out another. It was a sign of a world turned upside down. The rules-based international order — the post-1945 understanding that state

Ukrainian Chess Federation blasts presidential aide after accepting FIDE position alongside a Russian, urges SBU probe

by Yevgeniya DoludaSeptember 28, 2026

Kyiv Independent recommends 5 translated Ukrainian books to look out for in late 2026 and early 2027

by Kate TsurkanSeptember 24, 2026

Ukraine's Culture Ministry announces major fundraising initiative to help publishers struggling after Russian attacks

by Kate TsurkanSeptember 21, 2026

20-year-old sentenced to life in prison for murder of Ukrainian language advocate, ex-lawmaker Iryna Farion

by Kate TsurkanOctober 1, 2026

Kanye West's sold-out Russia concerts cancelled, organizers confirm

by Rebecka PiederOctober 1, 2026

Award-winning director Andrey Zvyagintsev labeled 'foreign agent' by Kremlin

by Kate TsurkanSeptember 18, 2026

How a dissident poet became Ukraine’s moral compass

by Kate TsurkanSeptember 18, 2026

NewsLetters

News Feed

Tuesday, October 6

03:54 PM

The price of doing business in Russia

When Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, most global businesses rushed for the exit. Swiss food and drink firm Nestlé was not among them. The company hunkered down, a decision it framed as ensuring local people's "right to food." It made little difference to the Kremlin. On Sept. 17, the Russian government placed Nestlé Russia under temporary external administration, a move that could lead to the company's ultimate confiscation or nationalization. Nestlé now says it is "assess

03:47 PM

Despite intensified Russian attacks, 62% of Ukrainians ready to endure war as long as needed, poll finds

The share has remained largely unchanged since late July and early August, despite the beginning of intensified Russian attacks using jet-powered drones and strikes on civilian infrastructure.

02:47 PM

Drones strike merchant vessels in Black Sea off Bulgaria and Ukraine, killing at least one

A Russian drone struck a merchant vessel flying the Marshall Islands flag in the Black Sea. Separately, two merchant ships were hit by drones around 112 kilometers (70 miles) off Bulgaria's coast on Oct. 6.

01:32 PM

Escape from Oleshky — 12 people reached Ukraine-controlled territory in September, official says

In recent weeks, some residents have started walking out of Oleshky to the neighboring village of Radensk alone or in pairs, on roads mined by Russian forces.

01:30 PM

South Korea says it received 'insufficient' apology from Ukraine over North Korean POWs, mulls envoy recall

The South Korean government is considering several measures in response to the dispute, including a potential recall of South Korea's Ambassador to Ukraine, according to South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun.

01:29 PM

Russia testing Europe's defenses below threshold of open war, experts say

What may look like a string of hybrid incidents increasingly resembles a sub-threshold war against Europe, says Olena Davlikanova, a security policy expert.

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.

June 12, 2025‘I feel like I lost 3 years’ — Ukrainian author turned soldier Artem Chapeye on culture during war

June 11, 2025'Ukrainians have been stripped of illusion of control' — Filmmaker Kateryna Gornostai on Russia's war, cinema and reclaiming the narrative

March 26, 2025Explainer: Some Ukrainians speak Russian language — it doesn’t make them Russian

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Trump's Ukraine-Russia peace gambit begins to unravel. Again

Culture

Luke Harding's 'Betrayal' charts the collapse of the rules-based order — and who is to blame

Ukrainian Chess Federation blasts presidential aide after accepting FIDE position alongside a Russian, urges SBU probe

Kyiv Independent recommends 5 translated Ukrainian books to look out for in late 2026 and early 2027

Ukraine's Culture Ministry announces major fundraising initiative to help publishers struggling after Russian attacks

20-year-old sentenced to life in prison for murder of Ukrainian language advocate, ex-lawmaker Iryna Farion

Kanye West's sold-out Russia concerts cancelled, organizers confirm

Award-winning director Andrey Zvyagintsev labeled 'foreign agent' by Kremlin

How a dissident poet became Ukraine’s moral compass

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NewsLetters

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The price of doing business in Russia

Despite intensified Russian attacks, 62% of Ukrainians ready to endure war as long as needed, poll finds

Drones strike merchant vessels in Black Sea off Bulgaria and Ukraine, killing at least one

Escape from Oleshky — 12 people reached Ukraine-controlled territory in September, official says

South Korea says it received 'insufficient' apology from Ukraine over North Korean POWs, mulls envoy recall

Russia testing Europe's defenses below threshold of open war, experts say

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New automatic gun turrets successfully down first Russian jet-powered drones, Air Force says

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