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Ukrainian painter Ivan Marchuk
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‘Shameful story’ — How Ukraine’s iconic 89-year-old painter got scammed out of rights to his own work

by Kate Tsurkan

At nearly 90, the Ukrainian painter Ivan Marchuk — widely regarded as one of the country's most important living artists — has found himself fighting in court to maintain the full creative rights to his vast body of work. Marchuk turned to the courts last year after he said that he was deceived into signing away some of the creative rights for a period of 100 years to three other people — all for Hr 10,000 ($228). The process is still ongoing. "He has not lost hope for a fair resolution of th

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Friday, April 10

Ukraine tempers expectations as Hungary's election nears

Ukraine expects no miracles from Hungary's April 12 elections. This weekend, Hungarian voters may end Viktor Orban's 16-year rule, potentially unblocking vital EU funding for Kyiv and its path toward membership. But the Hungarian prime minister — backed by both Washington and Moscow — has stacked the electoral playing field in his favor. And his main challenger, Tisza leader Peter Magyar, remains an unknown quantity for Ukraine. As the vote nears, the Kyiv Independent spoke to local experts a

Russia's rhetoric on the Iran war reveals it's losing

At a March meeting on Operation Epic Fury, European Council President Antonio Costa said, "There is only one winner in this war: Russia." Europe is right to be worried about Russian gains in this war. But this analysis is short-sighted and overlooks a central fact: the Kremlin is watching a key chess piece slip from the board, and its anxiety, not Europe's, should dictate the terms of this conflict. Despite its modest effort to aid Iran, Russia has failed to meet operational objectives on the

Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Russia, on March 26, 2026.

Key Ukraine events (13-19 April): Easter ceasefire, security agreements with Gulf countries

Editor's note: This article is a shortened on-site version of KI Insights' public newsletter. Sign up here to start your week with an agenda of Ukraine-related events delivered directly to your inbox every Friday. The Week Ahead Podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. The week ahead will be shaped by uncertainty around a proposed Easter ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Diplomatic activity may intensify, including a potential visit of U.S. envoys to Kyiv. At the same

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff (left) and U.S. businessman Jared Kushner (center) in Davos on January 19, 2026.

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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Counterattacking through the kill zone, Ukrainian troops brace for new Russian offensives

Counterattacking through the kill zone, Ukrainian troops brace for new Russian offensives

Editor’s Note: In accordance with the security protocols of the Ukrainian military, soldiers featured in this story are identified by first name and call sign only. ZAPORIZHZHIA OBLAST – For tonight's clearing mission on the cold windy steppe of southern Ukraine, the munition of choice is the Spear. In a cramped dugout less than eight kilometers from Russian forces, Ukrainian soldiers prepare the bombs, taping wires and tail fins onto long tubes of black steel fitted with menacing iron spikes

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