“Le Voyage en Ukraine”: Paris Hosts Opening of Ukrainian Cultural Season Featuring 50 Events Across France

France and Ukraine have launched a major cultural initiative titled Le Voyage en Ukraine (The Ukrainian Season in France), a four-month program aimed at showcasing Ukraine’s creative identity and resilience amid Russia’s ongoing war. The season will run from December 2025 to March 2026 and is set to unfold across multiple French cities.

The opening ceremony took place on December 1 at the Quai d’Orsay in Paris, attended by France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister of Culture Rachida Dati, First Lady of France Brigitte Macron, First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, President of the Institut français Eva Nguyen Binh, and Director General of the Ukrainian Institute Volodymyr Sheiko.

Organized jointly by the Institut français and the Ukrainian Institute—with support from the foreign and culture ministries of both countries—the season will feature visual arts, performing arts, cinema, literature, digital creation, heritage, and public discussions. The launch event later that day at the Théâtre de la Ville–Sarah Bernhardt brought together leading French and Ukrainian cultural figures for an evening themed “La culture contre-attaque !” 

Rachida Dati, France’s Minister of Culture, said the cultural season would offer French cultural institutions, artists, and citizens a chance to “travel to Ukraine,” explore the country’s diverse cultural, artistic, and intellectual identity, and deepen mutual ties. She noted that the initiative would create new opportunities for cooperation across the cultural and creative sectors, as well as in heritage and architecture.

The program includes collaborative performances blending cinema, music, and literature, with participation from Juliette Binoche, Michel Hazanavicius, Raphaël, Philippe Claudel, and, from Ukraine, Andrey Kurkov, Iryna Tsilyk, Olga Gibelinda, Volodymyr Voyt, Bohdana Pivnenko, and the Dakh Daughters.

Andrii Sybiha emphasized the importance of cultural exchange, stating: “Today, Ukrainian culture is a key element of our strength, our security, and our protection. Through the Ukrainian Season in France, we will present Ukrainian culture and art to the French public in all their uniqueness and authenticity. Better mutual understanding between our cultures will strengthen ties between our peoples and our countries.”

The season will span about fifty events across France, including in Paris, Marseille, Lille, Rennes, Metz, Lyon, Toulouse, Nantes, Caen, and Strasbourg. It aims to strengthen cultural ties between the two countries while highlighting themes such as human rights, public health, countering disinformation, memory, and heritage.

“This Franco-Ukrainian cultural season will bring Ukrainian cultural identity to the forefront in France, reminding everyone that war is not fought only with tanks and cannons, but also with the weapons of the mind,” said Jean-Noël Barrot.

Volodymyr Sheiko, director general of the Ukrainian Institute, added that The Journey to Ukraine is the most significant cultural season the institute has ever organized abroad and that France is a fitting partner. He noted that culture provides a powerful way to bring people together and to engage with the issues that matter to both countries.

Earlier, it was reported that the multimedia exhibition There Are No Children, There Are People (No hay niños, hay gente) opened at the Museum of Memory and Human Rights in Santiago, Chile, bringing international attention to Russia’s unlawful deportation and forced removal of thousands of Ukrainian children.

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