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Ukrainian film actor Yakiv Tkachenko killed in action
Yakiv Tkachenko, a theater and film actor from Dnipro, was killed in action while serving on the front line with Ukraine's 128th Territorial Defense Brigade.
Culture
UNESCO grants enhanced protection to 2 Ukrainian cultural sites
UNESCO has added Ukraine's Babyn Yar Memorial and the Odesa Literary Museum to its international list of Cultural Property under Enhanced Protection.
Looking to read Ukraine-related books? We picked the best of 2024
The year 2024 proved to be another landmark for books about Ukraine and Ukrainian literature in translation, with a continued trend in publishing in fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Unsurprisingly, Russia’s ongoing full-scale war against Ukraine was the most common topic among these works. Whether through incisive on-the-ground reportage that
Ukrainian gift guide 2024
If you’re unsure what to get your loved one for a gift this holiday season, look no further than Ukraine. Despite Russia’s ongoing war, Ukrainians have maintained their entrepreneurial spirit, and the country is brimming with exciting brands and products that are guaranteed to bring cheer to the
Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina posthumously receives Prix Voltaire Special Award
Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina was posthumously honored with the Special Prix Voltaire Award at the 34th International Publishers Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico, PEN Ukraine reported on Dec. 6.
5 high-end Ukrainian fashion brands you should know
Editor’s note: This article is part of a series of profiles highlighting successful Ukrainian startups and businesses. The series is funded by the regional investment fund Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund (UMAEF) and created in partnership with Spend With Ukraine, a non-profit organization that launched a platform to showcase businesses
Ukrainian publishing house Osnovy wants to 'fill gap caused by 70 years of Soviet rule'
Editor’s note: This article is part of a series of profiles highlighting successful Ukrainian startups and businesses. The series is funded by the regional investment fund Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund (UMAEF) and created in partnership with Spend With Ukraine, a non-profit organization that launched a platform to showcase businesses
Carol of the Bells — the classic, and Ukrainian, Christmas song
Editor's note: For the holiday season, the Kyiv Independent has created a unique collection dedicated to Carol of the Bells. Shop now on our e-store. Concertgoers filled Carnegie Hall on a rainy Thursday in October 1922 for a 35-piece performance by the Ukrainian National Choir. It was the first stop
UNESCO adds Ukrainian egg decoration to intangible cultural heritage list
"The aggressor is destroying our culture, monuments, theaters, libraries, and museums. ... We, however, are proving that even in the darkest times, we remain unbroken," Culture Minister Mykola Tochytskyi said.
Ukrainian poet Myroslav Herasymovych killed on front line
Ukrainian poet, prose writer, and screenwriter Myroslav Herasymovych was killed in action on Nov. 25 in Avdiivka, Donetsk Oblast, according to his brother’s Facebook post.
‘For some it’s a game, for me it’s a manifesto’ — Ukrainian soldiers join S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 frenzy
Editor’s note: In accordance with the security protocols of the Ukrainian military, most soldiers featured in this story are identified by first names or callsigns only. One soldier is mentioned by first and last name as he is permitted to use his full name with the press. Ihor was
Kyiv Independent launches winter merch collection celebrating Ukrainian traditions
Following on from the launch of the Kyiv Independent’s online store this summer, we are unveiling our first-ever winter collection in time for the holiday season. This collection is more than just a celebration of the festive season. It's a testament to the resilience of Ukrainian culture, a heritage
Vertep, a centuries-old Ukrainian Christmas tradition
Editor's note: For the holiday season, the Kyiv Independent has created a unique collection dedicated to Vertep. Shop now on our e-store. On New Year’s Eve in 1972, a group of Ukrainians set out to carol — a seemingly innocent holiday tradition. But for the KGB, the Soviet Union’s
'It was my first revolution' — Ukrainians look back on the Orange Revolution 20 years later
Two weeks before Ukraine's pivotal 2004 presidential election, 22-year-old filmmaker Iryna Tsilyk found herself at the center of a heated exchange during a trip to Moscow. The upcoming elections were a topic of group conversation and one Russian woman, bristling with anger, demanded, “How dare you Ukrainians think you are
Delayed by war, Ukraine’s long-awaited 'S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2' surges to the top of video game purchases
More than two years after Russia’s full-scale invasion delayed its release and upended its developers’ lives, Ukraine’s "S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2" — one of the most anticipated video games of the year — was released on Nov. 20. Employees of GSC Game World, the Ukrainian company
1,000 days of full-scale war: Reflections from the Kyiv Independent team
As we mark 1,000 days since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, members of the Kyiv Independent’s staff have paused to reflect. These reflections offer a glimpse into the profound impact of war — not only on a nation’s struggle for survival but on those who bear
Ukrainian musician Khlyvnyuk rejects Magnitsky Award, declines to share honor with Navalnaya
"As the father of two children living under missile strikes ... I cannot receive this award together with other laureates who are 'not sure' of the need to provide my country with Western weapons," Andriy Khlyvnyuk said.
UNESCO condemns recent Russian attack on historic center of Odesa
A UNESCO mission, led by Chiara Dezzi Bardeschi, head of the UNESCO Office in Ukraine, arrived on Nov. 16 to inspect recently damaged cultural heritage sites. The organization has not yet released the results of the assessments.
Ukraine's 'internal resilience plan' to be presented next week, Zelensky says
The government's latest plan will focus on internal solutions and is not an alternative to a victory plan oriented toward Kyiv's partners.
Kyiv urges Estonian film festival to cancel Russian 'Deaf Lovers' film screening
Ukraine's State Film Agency has urged the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (POFF) to remove the Russian film "Deaf Lovers" from its main programming, protesting the film's depiction of relations between Russians and Ukrainians, the agency announced on Nov. 12.
Russia seeks to obliviate Ukrainian heritage by demolishing UNESCO-protected sites
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia has destroyed over 1,000 cultural heritage sites in Ukraine, including those under the protection of UNESCO, according to the Culture Ministry. Moscow destroys cultural monuments not only with missile or drone strikes. Several historical monuments are under occupation, where Russian occupation
Metro Awakening VR release expands famous Ukrainian post-apocalyptic game franchise
Metro Awakening, the fourth video game in the popular post-apocalyptic survival franchise set in Russia’s underground subway, was released on Nov. 7 by the virtual reality (VR) company Vertigo Games.
Opinion: Gogol, the Ukrainian Kafka that Russia couldn’t claim
The question of Nikolai Gogol’s “belonging”—especially now, as Ukrainian and Russian cultures, long bound by an imperial past, are severing their ties before our eyes—remains a deeply painful issue for Ukrainians. Gogol, one of the most gifted writers ever born on Ukrainian soil, loved Ukraine profoundly as
Time names Ukraine's online wedding service among best inventions of 2024
For more than two decades, Time editors have annually spotlighted the most influential new products and ideas in their Best Inventions issue.
Kharkiv’s historic Derzhprom skyscraper becomes latest victim of Russian bombardments
Late on Oct. 28, an explosion rang out in the center of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. Situated just over 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the Russian border, loud explosions have become part of daily life in Kharkiv as Russia continues to attack the city with drones, missiles, and aerial
Like Russian opposition itself, Navalny’s posthumous memoir falls short on Ukraine
For Russian liberals, late opposition leader Alexei Navalny represented a glimmer of hope for a democratic future. Yet for many Ukrainians, especially in the context of a decade of war, he was a more complex figure, often casting doubt on whether Russian opposition to Vladimir Putin necessarily aligned with support
Opinion: There’s more to Ukraine than Hollywood gangster tropes and war
I recently watched a YouTube video of a Ukrainian performance on “America’s Got Talent.” A friend sent me the link, promising it would amaze me – and it did. You can find the video by searching “Amazing holographic 4D cube show AGT.” However, when the show’s host, Howie Mandel,
Moscow court sentences Ukrainian-born film producer to 8 and a half years in absentia for reporting on Russian war crimes
Moscow's Basmanny district court sentenced Ukrainian film producer Alexander Rodnyansky, on Oct. 21, to 8 and a half years in absentia for "spreading fake information" about the Russian Army.
Kyiv rebukes Jared Leto over controversial remarks on Russia, war
"There can be no appeasement for Russia when it continues its attempts to solve the 'problem' of Ukraine’s very existence," Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said.
Opinion: Documenting war ethically means going beyond capturing suffering
When a country goes through a war, documentarians often feel empowered to capture reality with the aim of creatively reflecting the pain on both a national and personal level. As the history of documentary cinema shows, such conditions can be the birthplace of groundbreaking films that shape the genre. Yet,
Forced to flee war-torn Kherson, bar finds new life as popular Kyiv spot
In late summer of 2022, Lunca Bar owner Yehor Lohvynovskyi and his team were taking a walk in central Kyiv when they spotted an empty courtyard — “We should open a bar here!” one of his coworkers said half-jokingly. None of them knew at the time that the joke would turn
Ukraine's SBU investigating director of controversial 'Russians at War' documentary Trofimova
Anastasia Trofimova's documentary has faced criticism for what many perceive as an attempt to whitewash Russian soldiers involved in the war.
Ukraine culture
The latest on literature, films, art, and traditions from Ukraine and the region. 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.
Learn more about Ukraine's Culture
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Fall of Aleppo deals blow to Russia's Middle East clout, may indirectly strengthen Ukraine's hand
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Once liberated Kupiansk braces for worst as Russian troops approach, and future Western support looks uncertain
