History

Exhumations of Volyn massacre Polish victims begin in western Ukraine

This is the first such exhumation since 2017, when Ukraine imposed a moratorium in response to the destruction of Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) memorials in Poland.

Chechen scholar: Russia’s cowardly violence in Ukraine is driven by desperation

For most people today, the word Chechnya immediately brings to mind Ramzan Kadyrov, the authoritarian leader who governs the region as a loyal vassal of Vladimir Putin. It evokes images of a turbulent, fear-stricken state at the mercy of the Kremlin’s whims. Yet, Chechnya’s story is far more

Pope Francis leaves a mixed legacy in wartime Ukraine, overshadowed by historic Vatican-Moscow ties

Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21 at 88, leaves behind a legacy as vast and varied as his global influence. Yet in Ukraine, his track record is far from positive. For many Ukrainians, the Pope’s legacy is shaped by his repeated downplaying of the gravity of Ukraine’

Decolonizing Russia — what it means and why it matters

Speaking to France's National Assembly on April 11, Russian opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza did not petition Europe for the Kremlin's total military defeat. Yet, while answering one of the many questions posed to him, he talked about how a colleague supposedly learned that ethnic Russians find it "psychologically difficult" to

Ukrainian author Oksana Zabuzhko on why Ukrainians ‘don’t have to respect Pushkin’

Over the past three years of full-scale war, Ukraine’s cultural figures have shifted from focusing solely on their craft to becoming diplomats, advocating for their culture abroad as the Russian army continues its relentless attempt to destroy it. At the same time, within Ukraine itself, a resurgence of national

Half of global population descended from ancient group in what is now Ukraine, DNA research shows

Half of the human beings alive today are descended from the Yamnaya, a group that lived in what is now Ukraine 5,000 years ago, according to new DNA research led by David Reich, a geneticist at Harvard Medical School.

Kyiv, not Kiev — How Ukrainians reclaimed their capital's name

For decades, if not more, English speakers the world over referred to Ukraine’s capital as Kiev, pronouncing it kee-yev. Few people knew they were using the Russian name for the city. The city is pronounced keeiv in Ukrainian and is transliterated correctly into English as Kyiv. In fact, until

'Negotiations are dictated on the battlefield' — Polish envoy on Russia-Ukraine war

Editor’s note: The transcript of this interview has been edited for length and clarity. Poland holds a special position among Kyiv's partners — with a shared history of Russian oppression and conquest, its leaders have left no room for doubt that the full-scale invasion of Ukraine represented an existential threat

Russian physiologist Pavlov’s statue dismantled in central Kyiv

Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov’s statue was removed from Kyiv’s Pechersk district for symbolizing Russia’s imperial past and his cruel experiments on humans and animals, the Kyiv city administration said on Jan. 27.

Zelensky arrives in Poland for Holocaust Remembrance Day commemoration

President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Poland for a commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi Auschwitz death camp, Zelensky’s spokesperson, Serhii Nykyforov, told Ukrinform on Jan. 27.

Russia’s looting of history is a theft of who we are

I first visited the looted museums of Kherson, a city in southern Ukraine, in May 2024. At the time, my team at the Kyiv Independent’s War Crimes Investigations Unit and I were beginning an investigation into the illegal export of artifacts from Kherson to occupied Crimea by Russian forces

'Breakthrough' — Poland, Ukraine reach agreement on Volyn tragedy exhumations, PM Tusk says

"I would like to thank the ministers of culture of Poland and Ukraine for their good cooperation. We are waiting for further decisions," Donald Tusk wrote in a post on X.

Historian Marci Shore: Putin’s obsession with denazification is ‘Freudian projection’

The return of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to political life has raised uncomfortable questions about the future, not only within the U.S. but also on the global stage. This is particularly true for countries like Ukraine, which relies on U.S. aid as it’s locked in a

The Week Ahead: Key Developments Impacting Global Politics & Markets

Editor's note: This article is a shortened on-site version of KI Insights' The Week Ahead newsletter covering events from Dec. 16 to Dec. 22. Sign up here to start your week with an agenda of Ukraine-related events, delivered directly to your inbox every Sunday. Central banks accounting for over 40%

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

'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

Finland closes world's last Lenin museum outside Russia

A new political museum at the same site will open on Feb. 15, 2025, Finnish authorities announced. The museum will reportedly focus on Finnish-Russian relations, including developments in the 21st century.

Historian on the past, present and future of Russia's colonialism

Why do some young people in the West romanticize Communism? How did Russian President Vladimir Putin manage to sell the idea of retaining the imperialist regime to the Russian people?

Ukraine's EU entry 'not an existential matter,' Warsaw can name conditions, Polish minister says on Volyn massacre

Poland can make Ukraine's accession to the EU contingent on the resolution of the Volyn massacre as joining the bloc is not a matter of the country's survival, a Polish minister said in a media interview published on Oct. 15.

Ukraine commemorates 83rd anniversary of Babyn Yar tragedy

Ukraine commemorated the 83rd anniversary of the Babyn Yar tragedy on Sept. 29, with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying that it is a "terrifying symbol" of what can happen when the world "lacks the determination to stand up against evil." The Babyn Yar tragedy was a mass murder of nearly 34,

Dare to Ukraine | Odesa: Summer by the sea during war

Despite being scarred by Russia’s full-scale war, the city continues to draw locals and tourists to its lively streets, sunny beaches, and legendary nightlife.

Russian forces damaging ancient burial mounds in Ukraine, research suggests

Russian forces have damaged several ancient burial mounds on the front line in southern Ukraine, potentially violating the Hague and Geneva Conventions, according to research from the Ukraine Conflict Observatory published on Sept. 4.

Volhynian Massacre — the Achilles heel of Ukrainian-Polish relations

Speaking on Polish television in late July, Poland’s Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz reminded Ukrainians that even his country’s overwhelming support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia has its limits. Ukraine could never expect Poland’s backing in joining the EU if it didn’t “resolve” the historical

Ukraine should become an EU member despite disagreements over Volyn massacre, says Polish parliamentary speaker

Ukraine should become a member of the EU despite disagreements with Poland over the historical issue of the mass killings of Poles in Volyn in the 1940s, Speaker of the Polish Parliament Szymon Holownia said on Aug. 31.

After a decade-long battle, Kyiv showcases Crimean treasures that Russia wanted to steal

Following a decade-long battle, a substantial part of Crimean artifacts is now on display in Kyiv until the occupied peninsula is liberated, officials say. After a lengthy legal struggle, the return of the so-called "Scythian gold" last year was, for Ukrainians, an important cultural milestone amid the ongoing decade-long war

How well do you know modern Ukrainian history? (QUIZ)

Kyiv Independent to launch travel show 'Dare to Ukraine'

The Kyiv Independent will launch a travel show called “Dare to Ukraine.” In each of the six episodes, host Masha Lavrova will travel to six regions across the country to explore the local culture, architecture, food, popular activities, people, and everyday life. The first episode of “Dare to Ukraine” will

Odesa's Russian street names should be renamed to avoid 'living in the past,' governor argues

Kiper made the statement after Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov criticized the renaming of streets on Aug. 1, claiming that Odesa City Council had "nothing to do with this."

Kharkiv renames 3 metro stations, nearly 50 streets to 'de-Russify' city

The city of Kharkiv has decided to rename three metro stations and 48 streets to "remove Russian markers from public space," Governor Oleh Syniehubov announced on July 26.

Ukraine has a ‘different kind of nationalism,’ says historian Franziska Davies

Ukraine was “a blind spot” for Germans up until Moscow’s full-scale invasion, Franziska Davies, a historian of Eastern and Eastern Central Europe, told the Kyiv Independent in an interview. “And if there is a blind spot, propaganda narratives can easily fill it with falsehoods,” Davies said, explaining why Russia-planted

Ukraine won't enter EU without settling WWII-era Volyn massacre issue, Polish minister says

Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said that Poland supports Ukraine against Russian aggression as much as it can, but the relations are "not perfect" due to unresolved historical issues. Warsaw has been Kyiv's staunch supporter since 2022, although the ties have soured in the past months over trade disputes.

Government introduces 2 exams for obtaining Ukrainian citizenship

Foreigners will have to pass two exams — on Ukraine's Constitution and Ukraine's history — to obtain Ukrainian citizenship, the government announced on May 30.