Ukraine
Songs of Resistance
President Vladimir Putin’s invasion has spurred an all-encompassing attempt by Ukrainians to rediscover their country’s history, language and culture after centuries of suppression and co-optation by Moscow. Music, particularly folk songs and instruments, is integral to these efforts.
A Minority Severed by War
Meskhetian Turks are caught in the crossfire of the war in Ukraine, forced to fight — and die — on both sides of a conflict many do not consider their own. Thousands have fled in the latest mass relocation of this persecuted people, who have spent much of the past century uprooted.
Can We Laugh? On the Ground With Ukrainian Artists
There is an enormous appetite for readings, stand-up comedy and theater across Ukraine, as people release tension and try to process what is happening to them. Yet there is often violence in the catharsis, and the line between humor that hurts and that which heals is often blurred.
Ukrainian Gamers Are Using Tabletop Role-Playing To Help Survive Russia’s Invasion
The Ukrainian gaming community says that since the Russian invasion began, role-playing games have transcended mere recreation to help heal trauma, build resilience, form communities and even express Ukraine’s distinct culture. They are not “just games” — they are a lifeline to normalcy and a reminder and promise of better days.
Once Again, Russian Tyranny Is Forcing Young Men in Ukraine Toward a Moral Precipice
My father’s decision to join the Waffen-SS Galicia Division testifies to Russia’s long history of tyranny against Ukraine. His reasons for doing so provide context for understanding how, then as now, Moscow drove young Ukrainians toward a moral precipice.
A New Dig Has Revealed Bodies From a WWII Massacre in Ukraine
The find is laden with controversy and entwined with the politics of memory. For the Poles, uncovering the dead is a moment for closure — but those in western Ukraine are wary of the disunity that conversations about such efforts may create with one of their closest allies in their fight against Russia.
Ukrainians Eschew Russian But One of Their Bestselling Authors Embraces It
The subject of the Russian language in Ukraine is of course no joke. It’s also a good example of how a language can be instrumentalized for political purposes. Yet Andrey Kurkov, who uses the Russian language to write about Ukraine, is not alone.