Culture

The Hidden Canon: Discover Ukrainian literary classics

A Kyiv Independent project backed by the Ukrainian Institute

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Zhanna Kadyrova stands next to her "Origami Deer" sculpture in Prague, Czech Republic, on March 12, 2026
Culture

In the eye of Venice Biennale's storm, Ukraine takes center stage

by Valeria Radkevych

Even before stepping onto the grounds of the Venice Biennale, visitors are met with a striking image visible from behind the gates: a concrete deer, suspended midair from the crane of a parked truck, its form secured by vivid orange lifting straps that crisscross its body. From a distance, the installation resembles a temporary construction site more than a national pavilion. People stop beneath it, trying to understand whether the structure is still being assembled, or whether this unstable su

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News from occupied Ukraine: Crimea faces food shortages amid Ukrainian strikes on Russian logistics

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 June 8: * Crimea faces food shortages amid Ukraine's intensified drone attacks * Bridge linking Crimea to southern Ukraine damaged in drone strike, Ukrainian military confirms * Ukraine's drones take aerial control over part of land route to Russian-occupied Crimea, military sa

Ukrainians under occupation don't have a real choice whether to stay or to leave

Some names have been changed to protect the identities of those featured in the story As a war crimes researcher at the Reckoning Project, my job was to listen to Ukrainians who had fled the occupation. What they had to say reshaped how I understand life in Russian-occupied territories. Simplistic outside judgments about people living under occupation often feel deeply unfair to Ukrainians who escaped it. From a safe distance, it is easy to say, "Why didn't they stay and resist?" or "Why didn'

A man stands on the roof of a house damaged during an overnight Russian attack in Kherson, Ukraine, on October 30, 2023.

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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