Culture

The Hidden Canon: Discover Ukrainian literary classics

A Kyiv Independent project backed by the Ukrainian Institute

Ukrainian InstituteLearn more
'Hemingway Knows Nothing': Ukraine's writers are redefining literature of war
Culture

'Hemingway Knows Nothing': Ukraine's writers are redefining literature of war

by Kate Tsurkan

When war, loss, and unimaginable suffering become routine, a book can offer a kind of lifeline — especially one by a writer who has lived through such an ordeal and tried to make sense of it. At the start of Russia’s full-scale war, some Ukrainians speculated if they’d see the rise of their own Ernest Hemingway: a writer whose books would not only capture the experience of a generation but come to define it. Yet it soon became clear that the old paradigms of war literature no longer spoke to t

News Feed

The situation in Russian-occupied Oleshky was dire. Now it's 'hell'

Residents in Russian-occupied Oleshky in Kherson Oblast face an escalating humanitarian crisis, as constant Russian drone attacks and artillery shelling have made it impossible to deliver essential food and medicine supplies or evacuate civilians by road. "These people need to be saved," Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, said on Sept. 16, adding that residents are desperate to escape "from this hell." "People are driven to despair and are simply walking along mined roads (to e

The aerial view of Oleshky, a Russian-occupied town in Kherson Oblast, Ukraine in a photo published on Sept.16, 2026.

Ukraine war latest: Russian missile, drone attack on Kyiv injures at least 20

Key developments on Sept. 16: * At least 20 injured, including children, in Kyiv following Russian missile, drone attack * Ukrainian collaborator involved in Russia's sham 'referendums' killed in Ukrainian drone strike, Russian media claims * Ukraine strikes 2 S-400 launchers in Russia's Bryansk Oblast, General Staff claims * Russian drone attack on Tanzania-flagged vessel kills captain, injures 3 crew members, Ukraine says * Russian forces strike major Ukrainian steel plant for 4th time i

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.
News Feed