Kharkiv renames 3 metro stations, nearly 50 streets to 'de-Russify' city
The city of Kharkiv has decided to rename three metro stations and 48 streets to "remove Russian markers from public space," Governor Oleh Syniehubov announced on July 26.
Culture
Who was Iryna Farion, the nationalist professor-politician assassinated in Lviv?
Despite the contrasting opinions surrounding her life’s work and sometimes contentious public statements, the assassination of linguist and former right-wing lawmaker Iryna Farion on July 19 came as a shock to Ukrainians. Sixty-year-old Farion was shot in the head by an unknown assailant outside of her home in the
Opinion: Between the 'Center' and Europe
I know the exact moment when Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to launch his full-scale invasion of Ukraine: Oct. 1, 2021. It was the day the opera "Vyshyvanyi: The King of Ukraine" premiered in Kharkiv. I was at the event and vividly recall all the details. The premiere proved to
‘The Language of War’ searches for ways to talk meaningfully about Russian invasion
“How should I manage this anger? Or should I?” Ukrainian author Oleksandr Mykhed asks himself following the start of Russia’s all-out war. In his book “The Language of War,” the first major Ukrainian prose work published by a Penguin imprint, Mykhed recounts how the lives of Ukrainians were upended
Ukrainian parliament votes to cancel daylight saving time
This means that Ukrainians will set their clocks back one hour for the last time on Oct. 27, 2024, and will not revert back to summer time next spring.
Children's theater goes underground in Kharkiv
In the heart of Kharkiv, Kharkiv Theater for Children and Youth performs in bomb shelters under constant threats of Russian attacks. The Kyiv Independent visited one of the theater's performances in late June to meet the dedicated actors and their no less dedicated audience.
Ukrainian high jumper sets new world record at Paris Diamond League
Ukrainian high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh set a new world record in women's high jump at the Diamond League in Paris on July 7, becoming the first woman to clear 2.10 meters.
Opinion: The realities faced by Russia's national minorities are history repeating itself
Udmurt scholar Albert Razin ended his life in front of the Udmurt Republic’s State Council Building in Izhevsk, Russia, on Sept. 10, 2019, setting himself ablaze. His desperate act serves as a haunting emblem of Russia’s national policy under Russian President Vladimir Putin’s reign. Today, Russification has
Up to 1.5 million museum artifacts under Russian occupation, Ukraine's culture minister says
Approximately 1.5 million museum artifacts remain in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, according to acting Culture Minister Rostyslav Karandieiev, who spoke on national television on July 4.
Spotify removes music by pro-war Russian singers
The removals impacted the band Lyube and singers Grigory Leps, Oleg Gazmanov, and Shaman, who sang at a concert in Moscow in September 2022 in support of the illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory.
Russian occupation authorities destroy UNESCO World Heritage site, build outdoor theater in its place
Russian occupation authorities destroyed the UNESCO-listed city of Chersonesus in southwestern Crimea and constructed an outdoor theater at the site of the excavations, a senior researcher at the Institute of Archeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine announced on June 26.
PACE adopts 3 resolutions on Ukraine, including on Russia's cultural genocide
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted three resolutions related to Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine on June 26, said Maria Mezentseva, the head of the Ukrainian delegation.
Ukrainian directors Chernov, Loznitsa invited to US Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Mstyslav Chernov and Serhii Loznitsa were among 487 new members invited to join the more than 10,000-strong body that votes on the annual Oscar winners of the Academy Awards.
Ivana Kupala: Ukrainians celebrate midsummer amidst war (Photos)
In stark contrast to the grim reality of air raid sirens and blackouts amid Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukrainians gathered to celebrate one of the most magical and ancient rituals of their ancestors that dates back to pagan times. Ivana Kupala falls on June 24, during the summer solstice, on the
Ivana Kupala, Ukraine’s midsummer festival
As the day begins in late June, people collect flowers and herbs from meadows and riverbanks, fashioning them into wreaths. They craft effigies out of willow and straw of the ancient deities Kupalo and Mara, setting the stage for a nighttime ritual that honors the elemental forces of fire and
‘Night Train to Odesa’ is a remedy for reading about wartime despair
At a bar in Moscow leading up to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, reporter Jen Stout interrupts a local parroting lines of propaganda from state-controlled television about so-called Ukrainian Nazis by asking him if he’s ever actually been to Ukraine. He seems taken aback by such a simple
'Saints:' Photographer Sasha Maslov on documenting self-sacrifice in Ukraine during war
Sasha Maslov is a Ukrainian-American photographer who divides his time between Kyiv and New York. At the start of the full-scale invasion, he returned to Kyiv to document the war. His work, which has been showcased in galleries and art spaces across Europe and the United States, includes regular contributions
Opinion: Elon Musk, ‘Civilization,’ and Ukraine – how computer games shape our reality
For better or worse, memes and video games might now play a more significant role in shaping people’s worldviews than textbooks, movies, and literature. As Russia’s war against Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war capture global attention, it’s crucial to consider how people form their conscious and unconscious
Culture Ministry: 91 media workers killed by Russian invasion
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has so far killed 91 media workers, the Culture Ministry reported on June 6, a day marked in Ukraine as Journalists' Day.
Author Zhadan joins Ukraine's National Guard
"I joined the 13th Brigade of the National Guard 'Charter.' I am undergoing training. I serve Ukrainian people," Serhiy Zhadan wrote on Facebook, adding a photo of him from the training.
10 authors shaping contemporary Ukrainian literature
Ukraine has a thriving contemporary literature scene with writers from across the country working in multiple genres. There’s a wide variety of texts for readers to choose from, whether they prefer the immersive realm of a science fiction novel or a work of thought-provoking literary criticism. This persistence of
‘Everyone says culture has nothing to do with it. It does' — Ukrainian writer Volodymyr Rafeyenko on Russia’s war
Ukrainian author Volodymyr Rafeyenko never thought he would write a novel in Ukrainian. He was a native of Donetsk, an eastern Ukrainian city where he grew up speaking Russian and completed a degree in Russian philology. Early on in his career, he was the winner of some of Russia’s
Ukrainian violinist wins prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition in Belgium
Ukrainian violinist Dmytro Udovychenko was announced as the winner of the internationally renowned Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels on June 2.
What will Russia's attack on Kharkiv printing house mean for Ukraine's publishing industry?
The aftermath of Russia’s May 23 attack on Kharkiv’s Faktor Druk printing house shocked Ukrainians: mountains of charred Ukrainian books covered its blackened floor. The strike had destroyed over a quarter of the company’s warehouse. The 4,000 square meter building is owned by the Faktor group
Traveling to Ukraine: What to see in wartime Kyiv
Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, is a city steeped in history, culture, and resilience. Even in the turbulence of wartime, life in Kyiv, to the greatest extent possible, goes on as usual: Shops, restaurants, clubs, bars, museums, parks, and galleries are all still operating. Tourism in Ukraine is largely on hold
Monument honoring Ukrainian revolutionary Nestor Makhno destroyed by Russian missiles
Russian forces destroyed a monument to early 20th century revolutionary Nestor Makhno on May 23, in the center of Huliaipole, a town in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
Russian missile strike reduces Kharkiv printing press to ashes, killing 7 (Photos)
Editor's note: This article features graphic photos. Russian forces destroyed one of Ukraine's largest printing presses amid a mass missile attack on the city of Kharkiv on the morning of May 23. According to regional authorities, Russia used S-300 missiles, fired from inside Russian territory, to strike the factory belonging
SBU suspects notorious musician of war propaganda after he fled to Russia
Yurii Bardash, a Ukraine-born producer and musician who fled to Russia after the outbreak of the full-scale war, is suspected of spreading war propaganda and justifying Moscow's aggression, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said on May 22.
The Counteroffensive: Cutting-edge Ukrainian fashion goes beyond vyshyvankas
Editor’s Note: This article was published by the twice-weekly newsletter “The Counteroffensive with Tim Mak” on May 20, 2024, and has been re-published by the Kyiv Independent with permission. To subscribe to "The Counteroffensive," click here. When Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine began, Anastasia Boyko considered fleeing Ukraine to
Vyshyvanka: A Ukrainian tradition preserved through centuries (Photos)
Every year on the third Thursday of May, Ukrainians celebrate Vyshyvanka Day. Vyshyvanka is the Ukrainian word for an embroidered shirt or dress – a central piece to traditional Ukrainian clothing. Vyshyvanka is traditionally made from linen and embroidered with various symbols unique to each region of Ukraine. Throughout history, Ukrainians
Blinken sings, plays guitar with local band in Kyiv
Videos circulated on Instagram showed U.S. Secretary Antony Blinken singing and playing guitar along with other musicians onstage.
Veteran Oleksandr Budko to be Ukraine's next 'Bachelor'
Ukrainian veteran Oleksandr "Teren" Budko will be the next "Bachelor" of the Ukrainian adaptation of American TV series by the same name, the Ukrainian TV channel STB reported on May 13.
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