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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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'We will fight' — We asked Ukrainian soldiers about Trump's latest outburst

U.S. President Donald Trump on Oct. 18 claimed his approach to ending the war in Ukraine is "very simple." In a post on Truth Social, Trump explained that his decision to ease sanctions on Russia while simultaneously piling pressure on Ukraine was to avoid "foolishly (driving) Russia away from the bargaining table." For many of Trump’s critics in Ukraine, his recent decisions are viewed in similarly simple terms — Trump is helping Russia win the war. Trump also doubled down on his criticism o

Ukraine's EU integration chief slams proposal to pick chief prosecutor in open contest

The EU has demanded a reform of Ukraine's notoriously corrupt and politicized prosecution service and called for making the procedure for picking the prosecutor general less political and more merit-based. Meanwhile, anti-corruption activists and pro-reform lawmakers have accused the Ukrainian authorities of sabotaging rule of law reforms and resisting the demand for depoliticizing the Prosecutor General's Office.

Ukraine war latest: Ukraine evacuates wounded soldier from front line by drone for first time, military says

Key developments on Oct. 19: * Ukraine evacuates wounded soldier from front line by drone for first time, military says * Ukraine brings home 23 children from Russian occupation * Ukraine, Russia nearing agreement on evacuation of civilians from occupied Oleshky, ombudsman says * 3 waves of Russian missiles slam Kyiv overnight, killing at least 1, injuring 8 * 'Absolute atrocity' — Russian drone strike on park in Kharkiv Oblast kills children * Russia strikes 28 critical energy facilities

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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