Help us keep bringing the truth to light, even when Russia turns the lights out.

Shop and support

Culture

The Hidden Canon: Discover Ukrainian literary classics

A Kyiv Independent project backed by the Ukrainian Institute

Ukrainian InstituteLearn more
“This Cursed Beautiful Land” by Gershkovich, and charred trees in Voronezh, Russia, on Aug. 1, 2010.
Culture

The trouble with loving Russia: Evan Gershkovich's memoir seeks sentimentality in a lost country

by Kate Tsurkan

By the end of his pre-trial detention at Moscow's infamous Lefortovo Prison, American journalist Evan Gershkovich had developed a curious rapport with the FSB investigator tasked with proving he was a spy. "Most people break after four months or so, but you're still holding strong — a year in," the investigator told him, and the two raised their cigarettes in a toast to "having tried to find common ground." Gershkovich writes about many such moments in "This Cursed Beautiful Land: A Russian-Am

News Feed

Ukraine war latest: Starshield operations restored to normal speed, Zelensky confirms as Elon Musk claims Ukraine violated Starlink terms

Key developments on Oct. 24-25: * Starshield operations restored to normal speed, Zelensky confirms as Elon Musk claims Ukraine violated Starlink terms * Russian attacks kill 8, injure 51 across Ukraine over past day as drone strikes residential building in Vinnytsia * Moscow ready to resume trilateral talks with Ukraine, US after Nov. 4, Kremlin aide says * In less than 24 hours, Russia hits 4 hypermarkets belonging to one of Ukraine's largest retail chains * Massive Ukrainian drone attac

News from occupied Ukraine: Former Oleshky resident warns people 'won't survive this winter'

This weekly update from the Kyiv Independent aims to shed light on the situation facing Ukrainians living under Russian occupation and the ever-tightening control of information imposed by the Kremlin. Key news as of Oct. 25: * Oleshky native warns residents may not survive winter as evacuation hopes rise * Russian-occupied Crimea imposes power and water restrictions after drone attack * Russia sentences 77-year-old Crimean activist to 18 years over alleged plot against Moscow's proxy * At

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.
News Feed