Ukranian culture resolute in the face of war

Power cuts, fled staff and a lack of funding: How is the Ukrainian cultural sphere working under the conditions of war? We asked people on the ground

Twelve months after the start of the war, the Ukrainian cultural scene is more determined than ever to show the world what Ukrainian culture and history have to offer. Exhibition makers are installing shows by torchlight, performance schedules are being adapted around power cuts, and almost every cultural institution has converted its basement into a bunker.

The continued attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, the constant internet and power outages and the disruption of well-established teams through exodus, mobilisation or volunteering pose enormous challenges, even to established Ukrainian institutions. Planning timeframes for exhibitions, programmes and festivals have shrunk dramatically, while funding has either completely or partially disappeared overnight.

But despite all the difficulties, Ukrainian cultural outlets are united in their commitment to stay in contact with their audiences - and, through culture, are providing people with some relief from the day-to-day hardships of war. They are also offering ways to reflect the new reality, helping people document and come to terms with their experiences.

In KULTURAUSTAUSCH's series of interviews, publishers and theatre makers, cultural managers and curators talk about practical difficulties of keeping culture alive in wartime - and how they are adjusting their offerings amid the difficult new reality.

“People need to restore their sense of safety”

Mystetskyi Arsenal is the national culture, arts, and museum complex, housed in the old fortress of Kyiv. Museum manager Olga Zhuk describes the race to put up exhibitions between power outages, and why it is so important to retain spaces for reflection.

“We get a huge emotional feedback from our audience”

The National Opera and Ballet Theatre in Lviv is considered the cultural centre of the city. General director Vasyl Vovkun talks about how his team adapted and how the relationship with their audience has changed since the beginning of the war.

“Even during the war, people cared about their education”

Projector offers online classes for creative and technology-based jobs. After the Russian invasion, the institute halted all operations. But demand for professional education in the creative industry is rising, not least because many people seek new work online, says Head of Product Anna Chernysh.

“We all understand that we are running a big risk, because a theatre is a place where a lot of people gather together… We adapted our work according to rules of the martial law. Instead of selling 1,000 seats, we only sell 500 – a number which depends on the capacity of our bomb shelter”

_{Vasyl Vovkun, general director of Lviv National Opera and Ballet Theater}

_{READ ON}

“Everybody in Ukraine has a story to tell”

Docudays UA is a film festival with a focus on human rights. Communications director Dar’ya Averchenko speaks about how Ukrainian filmmakers are covering the war from a local perspective, and how to organize a film festival amid frequent bomb alarms.

“The book market shrank by about 50 percent”

Publishing house Osnovy from Kyiv creates books on contemporary Ukrainian art and culture. Art director Dmytro Yarynych talks about how the team has adjusted the publishing programme, and the difficulties of printing in embattled eastern Ukraine.

“Art became therapeutic”

Shcherbenko Art Centre is a platform for contemporary art in Kyiv. Since the outbreak of the war, the gallery has organised several exhibitions abroad. Meanwhile, the space in Kyiv was transformed into an open studio, says founder Maryna Shcherbenko.

“The threats are unpredictable. This complicates everything from project logistics to fundraising and financial planning. You always must have a “plan A”, and a “plan B” and that means there is much more ‘invisible’ work”

_{Olga Zhuk, Deputy General Director for Contemporary Art and Museum Affairs, Mystetskyi Arsenal Kyiv}

_{READ ON}

The Russian invasion in 2022

After eight years of high tension, Russian troops invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. As the toll of death and destruction rises in Ukraine, refugees are teeming across borders to escape. The conflict has left the world reeling, triggering a tectonic shift in international politics.

In a major interview series, we collected eyewitness accounts and asked experts from across Eastern Europe about the shockwaves the Russian attack created in many countries.

_{May 2022}