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Timothy Snyder: If you want peace, Crimea has to be a part of Ukraine
When Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, the world struggled to understand how it was possible that war had once again returned to Europe in the 21st century. Eighteen months later, the world wants to know how it will all end. In both cases, historians are
Witness to war: A review of Serhiy Zhadan’s ‘Sky Above Kharkiv’
Less than a month into the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian shelling destroyed a popular bookstore on Kharkiv’s main street. Ukrainian writer and Kharkiv local Serhiy Zhadan uploaded a photo of the bookstore’s ruins onto social media on March 15 and asked, “Does anyone still want to talk
Invasion rooted in history: A review of Serhii Plokhy’s ‘The Russo-Ukrainian War’
For many people worldwide, Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine appeared unprecedented and unthinkable. However, for those familiar with Ukrainian history, it unfortunately represented a familiar pattern. In his latest book, "The Russo-Ukrainian War: A Return to History," the historian Serhii Plokhy explores how the myths deeply intertwined with Russian statehood
PEN Ukraine: 25,000 English-language books to be donated to Ukrainian libraries
The writers' association PEN Ukraine reported on Aug. 8 that 25,000 English-language books will be donated to libraries across Ukraine, including those located near the front line or in recently-liberated territories.
Art under attack: How Russia destroys Ukraine’s cultural heritage
Launched in February last year, Russia’s war against Ukraine has taken a toll on Ukraine’s culture. Russia has razed to the ground many museums and churches, destroying priceless works of art.
This Week in Ukraine Ep. 19 – Ukraine's struggle to dump Soviet legacy
Episode #19 of our weekly video podcast “This Week in Ukraine” is dedicated to Ukraine's national decommunization policy.
Anna Husarska: Expel Russia from UNESCO
ANCHORAGE – Russian President Vladimir Putin has been particularly angry lately, and the Ukrainian port city of Odesa has been suffering the consequences. In the Kremlin’s neo-imperial view, Odesa has long been a symbol of the Russian character of Ukraine’s south, because its initial development was led by Catherine
‘The War Came to Us’: A review of Christopher Miller’s memoir on his journalism in Ukraine
Back when he was a young Peace Corps volunteer, the American journalist Christopher Miller was looking to get stationed somewhere on the African continent, but instead, he was sent to the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, known then as Artemivsk. The once-prosperous industrial city in Donetsk Oblast – which has become
Tkachenko dismissal: Why was Ukraine's culture minister controversial?
On July 27, Ukraine's Parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, dismissed Oleksandr Tkachenko from the post of minister of culture and information policy in a vote of 321 to 2. The issue came to a vote after the Parliamentary Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy rejected Tkachenko's resignation on July 26. On
In Lukashenko’s Belarus, Belarusian culture is not welcome
While Belarusian is one of the two official state languages in Belarus, the decision to speak, read, and write it can be a dangerous choice for Belarusians. Growing up, the Belarusian poet and translator Valzhyna Mort was aware of how the Belarusian language was perceived in her country. “Belarusian was
Prominent Belarusian artist dies in prison 'under unclear circumstances'
The prominent Belarusian artist Ales Pushkin died in prison in Belarus "under unclear circumstances," his wife Janina Demuch reported on July 11.
This Week in Ukraine Ep. 15 – Why culture matters during war
Episode #15 of our weekly video podcast “This Week in Ukraine” is dedicated to Ukrainian culture, the important role it plays in war, and why it has been a target of Russian dictators for decades.
How nationalist movements paved Ukraine's way to freedom
When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, many in the West, and in the Kremlin too, expected the Ukrainian state to crumble in weeks, if not days. The government would flee, the state would be carved up – some lands absorbed by Russia, the rest perhaps being made into a
Writer Victoria Amelina dies following Kramatorsk strike
The writers' association PEN Ukraine said in a statement that Ukrainian writer and war crimes researcher Victoria Amelina died on July 1 after she was critically injured in a Russian missile strike on Kramatorsk.
Revolution, patriarchy, woe: A review of Oksana Lutsyshyna’s ‘Ivan and Phoebe’
The 90s is an overlooked period in contemporary Ukrainian literature – unlike Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine – and the setting alone makes Oksana Lutsyshyna’s award-winning novel “Ivan and Phoebe” an achievement. Now available in Nina Murray's English translation from the U.S. publisher Deep Vellum, Lutsyshyna’s novel is
Kate Tsurkan: Elizabeth Gilbert's Russia novel and the boundaries of art in wartime
American author Elizabeth Gilbert ignited a heated online debate when she decided to postpone the release of her new novel, “The Snow Forest,” which is set in Russia. Many Ukrainians (and not only) thought that it was insensitive for a bestselling author to choose Russia as the backdrop to their
Editors' Picks
Timothy Snyder: If you want peace, Crimea has to be a part of Ukraine
New brigade bears heavy brunt of Russia’s onslaught in Kharkiv Oblast
Inching forward in Bakhmut counteroffensive, Ukraine’s hardened units look ahead to long, grim war
