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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
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

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Ukraine war latest: 4 Russian warships damaged in strike on Black Sea Fleet port in Novorossiysk

Key developments on Aug. 12: * 4 Russian warships damaged in strike on Black Sea Fleet port * Ukraine liberated 745 square kilometers in Oleksandrivka sector since January, Zelensky says * Ukrainian unit reports shortages of food, water on front line, command promises evacuation when 'security situation allows' * Ukraine's HUR reveals size of Russia's Geran attack drone stockpile * Zelensky teases joint plan with allies to force Putin to stop war Four Russian warships were damaged in a Uk

Zelensky's Serbia gamble puts Ukraine's principles to the test

President Volodymyr Zelensky's first official visit to Serbia was a diplomatic gamble. Ukraine needs partners wherever it can find them, including states that maintain close ties with Moscow. But Serbia is not becoming a conventional Ukrainian ally. Belgrade nominally supports Ukraine's territorial integrity and has provided humanitarian assistance, while Serbian-made ammunition has reached Ukraine through third countries. At the same time, Serbia has not joined the European Union's sanctions

Ukrainian soldier on surviving 200 days in the kill zone

In this interview, the Kyiv Independent’s Kateryna Hodunova speaks with “Khvoryi,” a soldier in Ukraine’s 93rd Separate Mechanized Brigade “Kholodnyi Yar,” about what it takes to survive for more than six months at a combat position.

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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