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The Hidden Canon: Discover Ukrainian literary classics

A Kyiv Independent project backed by the Ukrainian Institute

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Burned Ukrainian books at the site of a Russian missile attack on a publishing factory in Kharkiv, Ukraine on May 23, 2024.
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Ukrainian publishers stand strong despite enormous financial losses from Russian attacks

by Kate Tsurkan

The moment Svitlana Paveletska, co-founder of Knyholav, received the news that the mass attack on July 19 had wiped out her publishing house's warehouse in Kyiv, she felt an overwhelming wave of grief that was difficult to put into words. "Every book represents months, and sometimes years, of work by our entire publishing team, including the author, translator, editor, proofreader, designer, and printer," Paveletska told the Kyiv Independent. Books are not military targets, but according to th

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Is there an alternative to NATO for Ukraine?

Ukrainians seem to have an endless appetite for discussing the possibility of creating alternative military alliances, especially after U.S. President Donald Trump said he does not see Ukraine joining NATO early into his second term in the White House. "I personally worked to ensure that we adopted NATO standards, and every year, I heard stories about how we were just about to join NATO. Unfortunately, we will never join it," former Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi said recently, adding tha

Polish soldiers hold a NATO flag at the Orzysz training ground in Orzysz, Poland, on July 3, 2022.

Ukraine war latest: At least 17 killed after Russian ballistic missile attack on Kyiv and surrounding area

Key developments on Aug. 5: * Russian ballistic missile attack kills 17, injures dozens in Kyiv and surrounding area as rescue efforts continue * Ukraine's air defense missile deliveries drop by two-thirds, new Russian tactic compounds problems for Kyiv * Ukrainian drones reportedly strike Wildberries warehouse in Russia's Tula Oblast * North Korea deploying ballistic missile unit to Russia to wage attacks on Ukraine, intelligence says * Head of body recovery group Platsdarm killed, his wi

Ukraine wants a National Pantheon to honor its heroes. Now it has to decide who belongs there

Ukraine is moving to establish a National Pantheon to honor generations of people who defended, built, and shaped the nation. The effort comes after years of Russian attacks that have damaged churches, museums, historic landmarks, and other cultural sites, reinforcing what Ukrainian officials and many cultural experts describe as a broader assault on the country's history and identity. "The names of all the heroes who, across centuries and eras, fought for Ukraine and inspired its people will

A man and a woman look toward the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra after a thunderstorm in Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 29, 2026.

Ukraine wakes to find 8 civilians killed on train station platform near Kyiv after ‘terrifying’ Russian attack

BROVARY, KYIV OBLAST — Eight people were killed as they stood waiting for a delayed train overnight on Aug. 5 during one of the most intense Russian bombardments of the town of Brovary, just east of Kyiv, of the entire war. The morning light exposed a scene of horror — bodies still lay beside the town's small railway platform, with some human remains scattered across the ground. Railway workers, meanwhile, had already begun repairing the damaged tracks only meters away. The air was heavy with t

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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