Culture

The Hidden Canon: Discover Ukrainian literary classics

A Kyiv Independent project backed by the Ukrainian Institute

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'My first impression was it's hell' — Belarusian prison memoir brings attention back to Lukashenko's repressions
Culture

'My first impression was it's hell' — Belarusian prison memoir brings attention back to Lukashenko's repressions

by Kate Tsurkan

In a Belarusian prison, it's a simple note — "We are with you" — hidden inside a chocolate bar from a volunteer aid package that can move political prisoners to tears. In their tightly monitored environment, where isolation itself is a form of punishment, such gestures take on an almost sacred significance. Hanna Komar's memoir "When I'm Out Of Here: Staying Human in a Dictator's Jail" details how these fleeting acts of solidarity become a means of holding on when living in an authoritarian reg

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Polish PM Tusk caught between Kyiv and Warsaw as Ukraine rift deepens

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is in a tough spot. The liberal pro-EU, pro-Ukraine prime minister is looking at a country increasingly at odds with both. In recent weeks, ties between Kyiv and Warsaw have sharply deteriorated after President Volodymyr Zelensky named a military unit in honor of the World War II–era Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), prompting his Polish counterpart to revoke the country's highest state honor previously awarded to the Ukrainian president. The unfolding row saw Z

President Volodymyr Zelensky meets with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw, Poland, on Dec. 19, 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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