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Culture

A Russian opposition figure tries — and fails — to mythologize Zelensky
Culture

A Russian opposition figure tries — and fails — to mythologize Zelensky

by Kate Tsurkan

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, President Volodymyr Zelensky has come to occupy a singular place in the global imagination: not merely as Ukraine’s president, but as the voice through which the country’s courage and endurance are made legible to the world. While an ongoing political scandal in Ukraine has involved some in Zelensky’s own inner circle, for many at home and abroad, it is in his public presence that the war’s meaning, its stakes, and its moral contours are most cle

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Where is Ukraine's Donbas? 6 things to know about the region Russia wants to take

Russian President Vladimir Putin has drawn a stark new line in the war: Ukraine must withdraw its forces from the eastern Donbas region, or Moscow will seize it "by force," he warned on Dec. 4. The threat is hardly new — but the stakes are. President Volodymyr Zelensky has ruled out ceding territory. After a decade of trying and failing to take Donbas outright, the Kremlin is now tying any future ceasefire to Ukraine's capitulation on the region, raising the pressure as Moscow seeks to reshape

Donetsk Oblast entrance sign, protected by anti-drone netting and surrounded by Ukrainian brigade flags, on Feb. 2, 2025.

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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