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Twentieth-century author Mikhail Bulgakov is seen in 1928.
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What English translations miss about Bulgakov — and why it matters in Ukraine

by Kate Tsurkan

Twentieth-century author Mikhail Bulgakov is celebrated worldwide for his satirical genius and his defiance of Soviet power, most famously through works like "The Master and Margarita" and "White Guard." In Ukraine, his legacy is far more complicated. Rather than being remembered solely as a critic of totalitarianism, Bulgakov is seen by many as a symbol of Russian imperial culture for his hostility toward Ukrainian cultural identity. Born in Kyiv in 1891, Bulgakov grew up speaking Russian an

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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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As Ukrainians freeze, donated energy equipment sits unused

heating tents set up in the courtyard of a residential building in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Jan. 19, 2026.

Critical energy generation equipment donated by Ukraine's partners has been left idle and unconnected to the grid for years, as Russian attacks cripple the country's energy system during its coldest winter in decades. Russia has plunged Ukraine into a catastrophic energy crisis, damaging around 8.5 gigawatts of generation capacity since October 2025 through relentless attacks on power plants, leaving citizens freezing in unheated and dark homes. To survive, Ukraine says it needs $1 billion wor

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