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The Hidden Canon: Discover Ukrainian literary classics

A Kyiv Independent project backed by the Ukrainian Institute

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'Hemingway Knows Nothing': Ukraine's writers are redefining literature of war
Culture

'Hemingway Knows Nothing': Ukraine's writers are redefining literature of war

by Kate Tsurkan

When war, loss, and unimaginable suffering become routine, a book can offer a kind of lifeline — especially one by a writer who has lived through such an ordeal and tried to make sense of it. At the start of Russia’s full-scale war, some Ukrainians speculated if they’d see the rise of their own Ernest Hemingway: a writer whose books would not only capture the experience of a generation but come to define it. Yet it soon became clear that the old paradigms of war literature no longer spoke to t

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The world is bigger than Europe. Ukraine should build stronger ties with Central Asia

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 provoked some very real geopolitical soul-searching throughout Central Asian capitals. Up until then, the economies of five of these states remained oriented towards the largest economy in the region – Russia. The C6 (i.e., Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) are taking unprecedented steps to diversify their trade, investment, and labor portfolios, having been shaken by Moscow's brutal rejection o

Zelensky casts a long shadow on the red carpet at the EPC summit in Bulboaca, Moldova, on June 1, 2023.

Ukraine's charm offensive reaches Moscow's partners

Ukraine's diplomacy is finding unexpected success beyond its traditional allies. Within a span of a few months, President Volodymyr Zelensky has paid first wartime visits to Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Serbia — countries traditionally counted among Moscow's partners. Economically and geopolitically weakened by its ongoing war against Ukraine, Russia is running short on political capital it can use to cement its sphere of influence. This, mixed with recent hurdles in bilateral ties and pragmatic

Zelensky shakes hands with Vucic in Belgrade, Serbia, on August 8, 2026.

Exclusive: Ukraine whispers to Trump that Russia may not capture Donbas even in 2027

Kyiv privately told the Trump administration that Russia may be unable to capture the remaining Ukrainian-controlled parts of Donetsk Oblast even in 2027, according to a document seen by the Kyiv Independent. The assessment comes as Moscow continues to demand that Ukraine withdraw from Donetsk Oblast as part of the U.S.-led peace process. Kyiv is instead arguing that Russia's battlefield gains have slowed so sharply that Moscow may struggle to achieve its territorial goals through force. Ukra

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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Smoke billowing over the Black Sea is now an everyday sight in Odesa Oblast as Russia continues to strike ports and vessels in Ukrainian waters. But it’s on land that the impact of Russia’s campaign is most keenly felt, with Ukraine facing an economic crisis unless the country finds a solution soon. The biggest victims are Ukraine’s agricultural and steel firms — both key economic drivers — which are cut off from crucial trading routes via the Black Sea. Ukraine could lose 1%-1.5% of its gross

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