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The Hidden Canon: Discover Ukrainian literary classics

A Kyiv Independent project backed by the Ukrainian Institute

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

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'The city is dying' — Ukrainians in Kramatorsk brace for worst as Russian forces inch closer

KRAMATORSK, Donetsk Oblast — Morning sunlight settles over a narrow street in Kramatorsk, lined with vendors selling their homegrown vegetables and meat at what used to be a bustling market. Intensified Russian attacks on the front-line city, which had long served as a key logistics hub tucked away in the rear of eastern Donetsk Oblast, have driven most potential customers away. But the vendors still need to make a living and arrive at around 6 a.m., enduring constant power and water outages in

A rescuer deals with the aftermath of a Russian attack in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, on August 16, 2026.

How a Ukrainian escaped Russian occupation – twice

What does life for a Ukrainian under Russian occupation look like? Dmytro Kruk grew up under Russian occupation in Donetsk Oblast and escaped twice. In this interview, he describes forced Russian mobilization, passportization, propaganda, and the FSB filtration he endured while leaving the occupied territories.

Ex-foreign minister Kuleba may become Ukraine's ambassador to US, sources say

Former Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba may become Ukraine's next ambassador to Washington, as Kyiv looks to fill one of its most important diplomatic posts, people familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent. The position has been vacant for several weeks after Olha Stefanishyna stepped down amid an ongoing corruption investigation. President Volodymyr Zelensky had initially planned to send recently dismissed Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko to Washington, but she declined the offer, forc

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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