Culture

Built in the 1920s, Derzhprom survived Soviet rule and Nazi occupation. Now, Russia aims to destroy it.

Ukraine is behind some of the world’s most iconic innovations. From the Avtorobot driving Hollywood’s action scenes to Sikorsky’s helicopter, Koroliov’s space breakthroughs, and even the creation of Grammarly, Ukraine’s inventive spirit continues to shape industries globally.

From the Mariupol Drama Theatre, where children sought shelter at the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, to the frescoed home of artist Polina Rayko in Oleshky, and the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa—no part of Ukraine’s history is safe from Russia’s aggression. Whether by missile or occupation, Ukraine’s centuries-old culture and history, like its people, are being relentlessly destroyed.

How descendants of an underground, non-conformist photography movement—founded in Kharkiv in the 1970s—continue to capture war in Ukraine today.

Three years into the war, fashion has decided to make a major comeback in Kyiv. The Ukrainian Fashion Week, a four-day trade show, has returned after two years of absence. The growing industry, full of established and promising designers, wants to showcase the vision of Ukrainian brands through a bit of “cultural diplomacy.”

Forty years ago, a close associate of Vladimir Putin played a key role in the murder of one of Ukraine’s most celebrated dissident writers. Today, he is orchestrating espionage networks for Russia throughout Europe.