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Twentieth-century author Mikhail Bulgakov is seen in 1928.
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What English translations miss about Bulgakov — and why it matters in Ukraine

by Kate Tsurkan

Twentieth-century author Mikhail Bulgakov is celebrated worldwide for his satirical genius and his defiance of Soviet power, most famously through works like "The Master and Margarita" and "White Guard." In Ukraine, his legacy is far more complicated. Rather than being remembered solely as a critic of totalitarianism, Bulgakov is seen by many as a symbol of Russian imperial culture for his hostility toward Ukrainian cultural identity. Born in Kyiv in 1891, Bulgakov grew up speaking Russian an

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With slow progress on battlefield, Russia shifts to terror and sabotage in Ukraine

Over the course of 48 hours last week, three explosions targeting Ukrainian police officers in different cities raised the prospect of a chilling new front in Russia’s campaign of terror against civilians. On Feb. 22, two explosions hit the western city of Lviv near the Polish border after police responded to a call, killing a 23-year-old police officer and injuring 25 people. The next evening, an explosion occurred inside a police station in Dnipro, damaging the building. Later that same night

A Ukrainian police officer secures the area at the site of an explosion that struck Lviv, Ukraine, on Feb. 22, 2026

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Our reporting on literature, films, art, and traditions from Ukraine and the latest news on culture in Eastern Europe.

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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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