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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
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'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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As Russian drone incursions escalate, NATO weighs costs of shooting back

For years, NATO countries have watched Russian drones breach their airspace, reluctant to shoot them down for fear of escalation. That restraint is now beginning to erode. After Russian drones killed civilians in Romania, while Russian electronic jamming continued diverting Ukrainian drones toward critical infrastructure in the Baltic region, NATO fighter jets finally began shooting intruders down. But using expensive air-to-air missiles to destroy cheap, one-way Geran and Gerbera drones is ha

F-16 fighter jets from the Turkish Air Force fly over Canakkale, Turkiye, on May 11, 2026.

Ukraine war latest: Russian drone strikes residential building in central Chernihiv, injuring at least 20, including 3 children

Key developments on Aug. 24: * Russian drone strikes residential building in central Chernihiv, injuring at least 20, including 3 children, on Ukraine's Independence Day * Ukraine hits Ozon logistics centers, rocket fuel plant, MiG-29 fighter jet in Russia, military says * Russia reacts to UK sharing Storm Shadow blueprints with Ukraine * 10 Ukrainian soldiers believed missing return home from Russian captivity in 'special exchange' * EU greenlights $7 billion in defense loans on Ukraine I

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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