Cultural diplomacy of Ukraine during the war

  • Post category:Issue XXIV

Mariia Shkurko
Junior Research Fellow, USAID’s Rada Next Generation Program

DOI: 10.37837/2707-7683-2023-41

Abstract. The article explores the role of cultural diplomacy as an essential component of public diplomacy. Western countries have been the focus of Ukrainian cultural relations. However, even though the EU greeted Ukraine with a policy of ‘open doors’ since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, diplomatic relations between the EU and Ukraine remain far from ideal. The study addresses the specific challenges and their possible solutions and and focuses on the strategic targets in the development of Ukrainian cultural diplomacy during the war.
The first year of the war featured many diverse cultural and artistic projects held at various levels abroad, from exhibitions and forums to debates and artistic performances. The bulk of Ukrainian cultural diplomacy efforts were directed at the US, the UK, France, and other countries, with a view to drawing attention to Ukraine’s rich cultural heritage. Additionally, the author extensively covers the profound issue of cultural heritage loss due to the russian invasion.
The war changed the approaches to cultural diplomacy, having highlighted its crucial role in countering propaganda and hybrid warfare. The article explores the contemporary challenges and strategic areas of focus for developing Ukrainian cultural diplomacy during the war, including russian manipulative narratives that exploit insufficient understanding of Ukraine’s historical and cultural significance observed in some EU countries. With this in mind, maintenance of an accurate perception of Ukraine abroad requires constant adjustment by diplomatic services, such as prioritisation of cultural diplomacy, broadening of its scope, support for artists and Ukrainian studies in foreign universities, emphasis on Ukraine’s multiculturalism, the development of Crimean Tatar studies, etc.
Keywords: Ukraine, wartime cultural diplomacy, the West, EU, Global South, South and East Asia, strategic development of cultural diplomacy, challenges, russian aggression against Ukraine.

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