The Siege of the Soul: Ukrainian Culture in Wartime

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is not only a military aggression but a calculated assault on the nation’s cultural identity and heritage. Beyond territorial ambitions, it reveals a deliberate strategy of cultural suppression implemented through direct attacks on cultural sites and the persecution of artists, forced Russification of the occupied Ukrainian territories and sophisticated disinformation campaigns aimed at rewriting history to deny a distinct Ukrainian identity. Russia weaponises culture and history, fabricating grievances to justify the invasion and erode international support for Ukraine.

This had a major impact on the cultural sector in Ukraine, as the Fourth Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA4) report[1] – a comprehensive analysis conducted by the World Bank, the European Commission, the United Nations and the Ukrainian government – implicitly acknowledges by highlighting the need for accurate information and cultural promotion. The report details the devastating impact of the assault: the total cost of damage to cultural heritage, museum collections and cultural and creative industries facilities is estimated at 4.1 billion US dollars, with the overall economic impact of the invasion on the culture and tourism sector reaching as high as 29.3 billion US dollars.

As historian Serhii Plokhy notes, such destruction is often a deliberate attempt to erase history and identity,[2] a form of cultural genocide.[3] This underscores a key point: in the face of Russia’s aggression, culture is not a luxury but a cornerstone for Ukraine. Culture binds the nation through shared history, language, art and memory. It fuels resilience, fosters belonging and strengthens cohesion. Critically, it provides the foundation for rebuilding a society rooted in its traditions.

However, culture is often overlooked in international discussions on Ukraine’s post-war recovery – a flaw that may greatly undermine their longer-term outcomes. The latest 2024 Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin featured a panel dedicated to cultural heritage but failed to articulate an agenda for the recovery of the culture sector at large. The 2024 Vilnius Call for Action on the Recovery of the Culture Sector of Ukraine[4] and the declaration adopted at the first international conference within the framework of the ‘cultural Ramstein’ in Uzhhorod (February 2025),[5] although reaffirming the EU’s commitment to the recovery of Ukrainian culture, are yet to be implemented in concrete action. Integrating cultural preservation into Ukraine’s recovery agenda is not simply about justice, but about ensuring long-term stability, prosperity and a democratic future for the whole European project – one built on fundamental recognition of the value of culture.

A race against destruction

The invasion presented Ukrainian museums and cultural institutions with the unprecedented challenge of safeguarding their assets, staff and collections from physical danger, destruction and looting, forcing them into a race against time. This immense challenge is now estimated in the RDNA4 report at 10.5 billion US dollars needed over the medium term for restoration and reconstruction of damaged sites, preservation of cultural heritage and promotion of cultural activities.[6]

Ukraine’s response was multifaceted, ranging from large-scale evacuations to localised acts of preservation. The Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko National Museum of Arts in Kyiv, which holds Ukraine’s largest collection of European, Asian and Ancient art, exemplifies the institutional commitment and logistical complexities involved in protecting major collections. Faced with imminent bombardment threats, museum staff removed the collection from public display and conserved it in safer spaces, and organised over ten exhibitions internationally, ensuring safety of objects and contributing to Ukraine’s cultural promotion abroad. Unable to use its core assets – the art works – at home, the museum reimagined itself as a space for contemporary art interventions, temporary exhibits, community engagement, professional debate and curated visitor experiences. The ‘emptiness’ of the museum has become an artistic and curatorial statement in its own right, and a powerful visual metaphor of the war’s impact on Ukraine’s cultural life. As Yuliya Vaganova, director of the Khanenko Museum, notes in a recent interview,[7] this process also required a fundamental rethinking of museum strategy, shifting from a focus solely on preservation to prioritising community engagement and making collections accessible even during wartime.

In his infamous article ‘On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians’,[8] often seen as an ideological manifesto and a premise for the 2022 full-scale invasion, Vladimir Putin explicitly denies the existence of a sovereign and inclusive Ukrainian nation, basing his conclusions on wholly false and anti-historic claims. Therefore, Russia’s strategy extends beyond simply destroying physical objects to actively suppressing cultural expression and identity. One of the first targets of the Russian troops in Ukraine have been libraries: burning and disposal of books have been commonplace in Ukrainian towns and villages that experienced Russian occupation. Other forms of cultural suppression in the occupied territories include looting of museum collections,[9] creation of propaganda museums[10] and instrumentalisation of education to brainwash the young people.[11]

Furthermore, the war poses a distinct threat to intangible cultural heritage, particularly for communities already facing persecution, such as Crimean Tatars, one of the indigenous peoples of Ukraine. The tradition of Crimean Tatar storytelling, especially the performance of destan epics, exemplifies this challenge. These epics, performed by skilled storytellers (yırçı), epitomise Crimean Tatar history, values and cultural identity. The illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 led to increased persecution and censorship by Russia, further suppressing the Crimean Tatar language and culture.[12] Under the guise of ‘restoration’, Russia reportedly caused irreversible damage to the structure and authenticity of the 16-century Khan’s Palace in Bakhchysarai, the former main residence for the monarchs of the Crimean Khanate and a significant cultural monument for Crimean Tatars and Ukraine.[13] The full-scale invasion has further disrupted this tradition by displacing communities and making public performances impossible.

Despite these challenges, Crimean Tatar cultural centres and organisations have actively worked to document and revitalise these storytelling traditions. They are organising online performances and workshops via platforms like YouTube and Zoom, connecting displaced Crimean Tatar children with their heritage and training a new generation of yırçı. By adapting these traditions to the digital sphere, they are ensuring that these stories of resilience and cultural identity continue to be passed down.

Rebuilding from the grassroots

Post-war recovery of Ukraine is a chance to undo as much of this damage as possible. It must extend beyond infrastructure to revitalise culture, requiring increased funding for cultural institutions, support for grassroots initiatives and international promotion. While international actors, particularly the EU through Creative Europe, EU member states, private foundations and donors, as well as aid organisations like USAID until its shutdown in early 2025, launched programmes providing financial assistance, cultural exchanges and protection for cultural heritage, the disbursed funding falls short of the identified needs.

This gap has fuelled the emergence and proliferation of grassroots initiatives. These initiatives represent a crucial form of cultural resistance within the civil society, directly countering Russia’s efforts to control the narrative. The Museum for Change documents and archives stories of displacement, loss and resilience capturing how the war reshapes society. By focusing on individual experiences, the project not only preserves cultural memory, but also directly empowers communities to shape their own narratives of resilience.[14]

Volunteer-led cultural centres proliferated in liberated and frontline territories as crucial hubs for community healing and cultural revival. These are not just spaces for recreation but directly counter Russian attempts at cultural Russification in occupied areas by providing Ukrainian language classes, screenings of Ukrainian films and workshops on traditional Ukrainian arts and crafts.

Recognising the acute precarity facing artists and cultural institutions, initiatives like the Ukrainian Emergency Art Fund (UEAF)[15] and the Museum Crisis Center, founded by Olha Honchar,[16] have emerged to provide critical support. The UEAF offers grants and resources to artists displaced or whose work has been disrupted, enabling them to continue creating and sharing their art, thus ensuring that Ukrainian artistic voices are not silenced. The ALIPH Foundation (International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas), an international foundation based in Geneva, has also become a significant supporter of Ukrainian cultural heritage during the war.[17]

Amplifying voices, countering narratives

Ukraine’s wartime strategic communications seek to project a distinct and convincing impression of the country that evokes affinity and trust among foreign societies. This complex task cannot be fully achieved without a multifaceted cultural diplomacy aligned with policy objectives. To this purpose, Ukrainian artists, intellectuals and organisations have been strategically targeting diverse audiences worldwide.

In her Sundance-winning coming-of-age film The Earth Is Blue as an Orange, filmmaker and writer Iryna Tsilyk explores the power of art amidst conflict and emphasises the humanity that is hardly covered in mainstream news.[18] Drawing on these themes, Ukrainian artists are actively dispelling Russia’s strategy of dehumanisation by conveying intimate and personal experiences of war. This approach, harnessing the power of film to connect with broader audiences on an emotional level, is yet another form of cultural resistance. Similarly, Mstyslav Chernov’s harrowing Oscar-winning documentary 20 Days in Mariupol provides a visceral and unflinching firsthand account of the siege, documenting the inconceivable tragedy of the dying city.

Complementing this emotional resonance, figures like philosopher Volodymyr Yermolenko and literary critic Tetiana Ogarkova have engaged in intellectual public diplomacy, targeting audiences interested in the philosophical, historical and cultural underpinnings of the war.[19] As editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld,[20] a multilingual online platform providing analysis and translations related to Ukraine, Yermolenko explores broader socio-political perspectives of the war, framing it as a profound clash between freedom/democracy and authoritarianism/colonialism. Ogarkova facilitates communication between Ukrainian experts and international media and produces podcasts on Ukrainian culture and history for audiences across Europe, Latin America and Africa.[21]

In parallel, organisations like PEN Ukraine and the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Centre for Civil Liberties are working to defend human rights, document war crimes and expose the devastating impact of the war on Ukrainian culture. This human rights-focused approach serves to hold Russia accountable for its actions and to mobilise international support for the protection of people and heritage. PEN Ukraine’s activities include documenting war crimes against culture, providing support to Ukrainian writers affected by the conflict and amplifying Ukrainian voices on the international stage.

Cultural diplomacy efforts are also joined by prominent Ukrainian writers and poets whose profession now extends far beyond writing. Tapping into their large follower base and industry connections, authors like Serhiy Zhadan (whose novels explore themes of war and identity in Eastern Ukraine) and Oksana Zabuzhko (author of Fieldwork in Ukrainian Sex, a seminal work of the 1990s Ukrainian literature) represent and speak on behalf of Ukraine at international book fairs, literature festivals and political fora.

Beyond resilience: A shared responsibility

This remarkable collective action is a testament to the strength and resilience of Ukrainian culture. Its resource pool, however, is by no means infinite and already stretched thin. Ukraine’s fate rests not only on the shoulders of the Ukrainian people but also on the commitment of the international community. While investment and financial assistance for infrastructure are crucial, Ukraine’s recovery must also involve a conscious and strategic revitalisation of its cultural sector. This should not be limited to reconstruction of cultural heritage but pursue a much broader agenda that includes development and rollout of new cultural policy, reform of arts education, capacity building and skills development for culture managers and artists, mental health care, competitive remuneration for people employed in culture and the creative industries, increased cross-regional and international cultural cooperation, designing new cultural infrastructure in the war-affected regions that caters to community needs, reintegration of displaced persons, increase in production of quality cultural content among other things.

Greater international support that empowers the civil society, protects artistic expression, counters disinformation and strengthens institutions, is therefore essential. It may be provided through existing financial assistance programmes such as the EU-funded 50 billion euros Ukraine Facility[22] (alas, currently lacking an informed cultural pillar) or the speculated US-led modern Marshall Plan for Ukraine.[23] Much of this support can be channelled to Ukraine’s anchor cultural institutions and executive agencies such as the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation and the Ukrainian Institute, which are well equipped to deliver on certain recovery needs by administering and cascading the support at a local and international level. Other go-to partners for international donors are Ukrainian civil society organisations and private foundations with a strong track record in culture, shared vision and institutional capacity. Investing in Ukraine’s post-war rebuilding and recovery is not merely an act of charity; it is a strategic investment in countering Russian aggression on multiple fronts, upholding democratic values, and ensuring a secure, prosperous and culturally rich future for Ukraine for Europe as a whole.


Volodymyr Sheiko is Director General of the Ukrainian Institute.

[1] World Bank et al., Ukraine Fourth Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA4): February 2022-December 2024, February 2025, https://hdl.handle.net/10986/42908.

[2] Serhii Plokhy, The Russo-Ukrainian War. The Return of History, New York, W.W. Norton & Co., 2023.

[3] Amos Fox, “Russo-Ukrainian Patterns of Genocide in the Twentieth Century”, in Journal of Strategic Security, Vol. 14 No. 4, (2021), p. 56-71 at p. 57, https://doi.org/10.5038/1944-0472.14.4.1913.

[4] Austria et al., Vilnius Call for Action on the Recovery of the Culture Sector in Ukraine, Vilnius, 6-7 June 2024, https://conference.unesco.lt/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Vilnius-Call-for-Action-1-1.pdf.

[5] Albania et al., Declaration on Strengthening Cultural Sector Resilience in Ukraine, Uzhhorod, 1 February 2025, https://mcsc.gov.ua/en/cooperation-for-resilience-conference.

[6] World Bank et al., Ukraine Fourth Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA4), cit., p. 42.

[7] Anastasiya Platonova, “Time to Call Things by Their Proper Name” (in Ukrainian), in Korydor, 19 February 2024, https://korydor.in.ua/ua/bez-rubriki/chas-nazvaty-rechi-svoimy-imenamy.html.

[8] Vladimir Putin, On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians, 12 July 2021, http://www.en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/66181.

[9] Natalia Datskevych, “Russia Destroys Ukraine’s Historic Heritage, Steals Rare Collections from Museums”, in The Kyiv Independent, 1 June 2022, https://kyivindependent.com/russia-destroys-ukraines-historic-heritage-steals-rare-collections-from-museums.

[10] “The Occupiers Opened a Propaganda Museum ‘Russia – My History’, in Captured Melitopol” (in Ukrainian), in Detektor Media, 24 September 2023, https://detector.media/infospace/article/217232.

[11] Anastasiia Vorobiova, “School Museums in the Occupied South: How Russia Uses Historical Memory as a Propaganda Vehicle”, in Almenda, 11 December 2023, https://almenda.org/en/?p=5717.

[12] Elmaz Asan, “Crimean Tatars Face Ongoing Persecution under Russian Occupation”, in openDemocracy, 12 May 2023, https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/odr/crimea-tatar-persecution-russia-ukraine-war-genocide.

[13] Halya Coynash, “Why Are We Letting Russia Destroy a 16th Century Palace in Crimea?”, in UkraineAlert, 11 January 2018, https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/?p=107510.

[14] See Museum for Change official website: https://www.mfcua.org/en-2.

[15] Mystetskyi Arseal website: Ukrainian Emergecy Art Fund: Monthly Report, https://artarsenal.in.ua/?p=28815.

[16] Lisa Korneichuk, “This Group Is Helping Museum Workers in Ukraine”, in Hyperallergic, 23 March 2022, https://hyperallergic.com/719347.

[17] ALIPH website: Protecting Cultural Heritage in Ukraine, https://www.aliph-foundation.org/en/projects/protecting-cultural-heritag....

[18] Phil Hoad, “The Earth Is Blue as an Orange Review – Subtle Doc Tells Ukrainian Family’s War Story”, in The Guardian, 12 July 2021, https://www.theguardian.com/p/t4tgb.

[19] Volodymyr Yermolenko and Tetyana Ogarkova, “First Days of the War – Thoughts, Experiences, Actions”, in Here and Now: Stories of Journalists at War, 11 November 2022, https://journalistsatwar.gongadzeprize.com.ua/en/volodymyr-ermolenko-i-tetyana-ogarkova.

[20] See UkraineWorld official website: https://www.ukraineworld.org/en.

[21] Ukrainian Institute website: Ukrainian Institute x UkraineWorld, https://ui.org.ua/en/sectors-en/ukrainian-institute-x-ukraineworld.

[22] See Ukraine Facility official website: https://www.ukrainefacility.me.gov.ua/en.

[23] Heather A. Conley, A Modern Marshall Plan for Ukraine. Seven Lessons from History to Deliver Hope, Washington, German Marshall Fund, Hope, 3 October 2022, https://www.gmfus.org/news/modern-marshall-plan-ukraine.