Agency on the Promotion
of Ukrainian Culture
together with

On February 24, 2022, the world discovered Ukraine. For many around the globe, this was a revelation: on the day of the full-scale Russian invasion, they found out that Ukraine, the country with the largest territory in Europe, existed; that this land was home to people with their own language, history and culture. People with goals and desires. Now, once again in their turbulent history, these people were rising to defend their right to existence and self-determination.

In his Yale University lecture series The Making of Modern Ukraine, famed American historian Timothy Snyder stressed that, although Ukraine has always been in the middle of Europe’s political and social events, it has, for some reason, remained overlooked by historians. Its significant role at key junctures of European history has been overshadowed and largely neglected by the rest of the world; Ukraine’s absence from centuries of global discourse has coexisted with defining processes of political and cultural identity.

We might even find a certain silver lining: while the war is a great tragedy for us Ukrainians, it has also become a moment of awakening and a chance to speak to the world in our own voice, rather than through the words others have chosen for us.

This is an interesting moment in our history, where the world is giving us a phenomenal amount of attention, yet there is a clear lack of access - no key knowledge base to help the international community understand who the citizens of Ukraine are, and why they are fighting.

It is evident that to understand the meaning and essence of the current war, it is not enough to track shifting front lines, monitor incoming weapons shipments, or analyze political statements.

Nuances are found in Ukraine's cultural landscape: in its history, identity, and diversity. This is what foreign institutions, such as festivals, publishing houses, and galleries, are looking for. They all seek an answer to What is Ukraine, through theater, literature, cinema, and living contemporary culture.

Over the past three years, the world has learned more about Ukraine than in the whole century before. But this is an indirect victory because Ukraine will not hold the world's attention for long. For cultural diplomacy, understood as diverse ways of communicating with the world, this means that we have to make full use of these opportunities - cooperating with people and institutions - to raise awareness about Ukraine. To reach new heights and to build a foundation on which we can support further action. This foundation, undoubtedly, is culture - it is only through culture that we can know a country and the community that creates it.

Volodymyr Sheiko,
Director General of the Ukrainian Institute