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Culture

The Hidden Canon: Discover Ukrainian literary classics

A Kyiv Independent project backed by the Ukrainian Institute

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The cover of “Naive My Love,” by Gunia Project, and “Pigeon and Dove” by Primachenko.
Culture

Inside Ukraine's world of naive art — and the Gunia aesthetic it inspired

by Kate Tsurkan

A cat's fur for a brush, crushed petals for paint, and an eye for beauty — as it turns out, that's all some Ukrainian artists needed to make some of the most distinctive paintings of the 20th century. "Naive My Love," a new coffee table book by French publisher Assouline in collaboration with Ukrainian fashion and design brand Gunia Project, celebrates the bold colors, imaginative motifs, and deeply personal visual language of Ukrainian naive and folk art. The book's visuals stand on their own

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Behind the scenes: Kyiv Independent's September digest

In September, we gave our travel series a home of its own, launched a new way to reach readers, saw our community's support translate into practical help for journalists on the front line, and met our community at events in Brazil and the Netherlands.

Collage of photographs from the Kyiv Independent team's camera roll, September 2026

Trump's Russian diesel deal offers little relief for Americans — and a political win for Moscow

When U.S. President Donald Trump announced Oct. 9 that Washington had agreed to buy millions of tons of Russian fuel, he pledged that the deal would mean lower gas prices for ordinary Americans. "Russia will immediately supply over 300,000 Tons of Diesel Fuel to the American and Global Marketplace, another 500,000 Tons during the month of November, and 1,000,000 Tons immediately thereafter," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Between our TOTAL CONTROL of the Strait of Hormuz, and this great announc

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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The U.K. has sanctioned Alexander Tattersall, a Dutch national, and Redwing Metal, the Turkish company he co-owns, nearly four months after a Kyiv Independent investigation revealed the firm had funneled EU-made industrial machinery to Russian metallurgical plants that supply the country's missile and fighter jet manufacturers. Tattersall and Redwing Metal were blacklisted as part of a package of 38 designations announced by the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) on Oct. 8

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