How Ukraine has Changed in 10 Years of War
Final Part | Part One here | Part Two here | Part Three here | Part Four here | Part Five here | Part Six here
Cover of the TNMK music video “History of Ukraine in 5 Minutes”.
Culture: fighting for Ukrainian voices to be heard
Just a few years ago, Ukraine was heavily influenced by Russia in the cultural sphere. Russian cultural figures and media products held a near-monopoly across much of the post-Soviet space. This allowed Russia, with its state-controlled media market, to impose its standards, familiar imagery, and political narratives on countries previously under Soviet control. Amidst Russia’s aggressive cultural expansion, Ukrainian institutions, NGOs, and government agencies – often with limited financial and public backing – faced a serious challenge, which they transformed into a drive for rapid development. The full-scale Russian invasion has further fuelled the growth of Ukraine’s independent cultural sector, where the need to assert, nurture, and safeguard Ukrainian culture has become as crucial as reclaiming occupied territories and defending borders.
Strengthening institutions for global engagement
To strengthen Ukraine’s global presence, the government established the Ukrainian Institute in 2017. This organisation focuses on promoting cultural and scientific cooperation internationally, raising awareness of Ukraine, and introducing foreign audiences to its context. Between 2019 and 2024, the Institute conducted research on global perceptions of Ukraine and Ukrainian culture, as well as an in-depth study on how Ukrainian history is represented in foreign textbooks and media. This research has laid the groundwork for Ukraine’s future international efforts, marking the country’s first targeted policy for developing its global image since gaining independence in 1991.
In the same year, the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation (UCF) was established under the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine. The Foundation is renowned for offering grants to support cultural projects, including literature, music, theatre, film, as well as initiatives related to folk art, visual arts, and architecture. It also plays a key role in promoting cultural values, fostering a rediscovery of ethnic identity among Ukrainians, and running cultural and awareness-raising campaigns aimed at elevating cultural standards within society.
Screenshot from the official website of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation (UCF).
In 2016, Ukraine also set up the Ukrainian Book Institute, which plays a key role in reviving the popularity of Ukrainian-language literature and supporting local publishers. The Institute develops and implements strategies to grow the Ukrainian book market, supports publishers, encourages the publication of new books, and broadens the range of themes and genres in domestic literature. It also promotes translations of Ukrainian literature into foreign languages, helping to raise awareness of Ukraine and its culture internationally — an effort that has become especially crucial since the full-scale invasion.
Screenshot from the official website of the Ukrainian Institute of Culture (UIC).
Revitalising Ukrainian book industry
Cheap, mass-market Russian books were a powerful tool of Russian influence on Ukrainian readers. The need to counter this form of information warfare became even more pressing after Russia’s invasion in 2014. In 2016, Ukraine introduced its first legal restrictions on the import of Russian books, initially focusing on those with anti-Ukrainian content. These publications were actively produced and distributed by Russia to spread propaganda, justify its actions, and assimilate populations in occupied territories. However, right up until the full-scale war, Russian books still held a significant share of the Ukrainian market.
In June 2022, Ukrainian parliament passed a bill banning the import of all books printed in Russia, Belarus, and the Ukrainian territories currently under Russian occupation, as well as books by authors who were (or have been at any time since 1991) citizens of Russia, with a few exceptions.
Industry leaders hope that the new legislation will create more space on bookstore shelves for books by Ukrainian publishers. However, the law still has some blind spots, particularly with electronic content, and will require additional resolutions and regulations to be fully effective. As a result, the true impact of these changes, or lack thereof, will only become clear in the future.
Photo: Anastasia Magazova for DW.
Boycotting Russian propaganda films
In 2015, Ukrainian lawmakers banned the screening of films and TV series produced in the Russian Federation after 1991. This move was a response to the overwhelming presence of Russian content in Ukraine, as well as the genuine security threat posed by Russia’s use of film to spread anti-Ukrainian propaganda and historical distortions worldwide. Since 2014, the State Film Agency of Ukraine (Derzhkino) has been removing Russian-produced content from cinemas and television. By 2018, 780 films and TV series from Russia, which contained propagandist anti-Ukrainian messages, had been banned.
The main reasons for the ban were the threat posed by the actors in these films to Ukraine’s national security, as well as the promotion of methods and imagery associated with Russia’s and the USSR’s punitive institutions, which distorted facts and spread falsified historical narratives.
A new wave of opposition to Russian cinema emerged following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Ukrainian Film Academy called for an international boycott of works by Russian directors, urging that their films be excluded from screenings, festivals, and competitions. This call was driven by the ongoing use of art, particularly cinema, by Russia to justify its crimes and spread distorted historical narratives.
For instance, in September 2024, the Venice Film Festival premiered Russians at War, directed by Russian filmmaker Anastasia Trofimova. The film sparked controversy due to Trofimova’s past work for the Russian state media conglomerate RT, which has been banned in several EU countries and the UK for spreading disinformation and hate speech. She had also filmed in Ukrainian territories under occupation, violating Ukraine’s border laws. The Ukrainian community strongly protested the film’s international screenings, as it portrayed the Russian occupation of Ukraine in an unduly positive light, downplaying Russia’s war crimes.
Mitigating the impact of Russification
Although the Ukrainian Constitution established Ukrainian as the state language in 1996, in practice, it remained sidelined in many areas of public life due to Soviet-era Russification policies. However, in recent years, Ukrainian has been steadily regaining ground in both public and private spheres, driven by legislative changes and a growing desire among Ukrainians to break free from the Russian influence. This shift has been particularly pronounced since Russia’s full-scale invasion.
One of the measures used to promote the Ukrainian language in the media has been the introduction of language quotas. This initiative aimed to support domestic producers, who often struggle to compete with foreign content, particularly from Russia. Following the introduction of the relevant law in 2016, a certain percentage of radio and television programming was required to feature content in Ukrainian. As of 1 January 2024, the mandatory minimum for Ukrainian-language content on radio and television broadcasters was set at 90%.
In 2019, Ukrainian parliament passed the law “On Ensuring the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as the State Language” to address the legacy of forced Russification. The law ensures the right to receive services in Ukrainian across government institutions, local self-government bodies, education, healthcare, media, culture, commerce, services, and advertising.
Restricting Russian music in public
For similar reasons, in 2022, the Ukrainian parliament passed a law banning the public performance of Russian music. The law prohibits the playing of Russian songs at concerts, clubs, and other venues, as well as their broadcast on radio and television, the airing of Russian music videos and the use of Russian song recordings at public events.
However, there are some exceptions to the ban, particularly for musical works created before 1991 or those that are not directly associated with propaganda or the promotion of aggression.
Reclaiming Ukrainian artists from Russia
Russian aggression has prompted Ukrainians to actively decolonise the global perception of Ukraine and Russia. As part of this effort, Ukrainians are striving for the recognition of artists as Ukrainian, rather than Russian. For example, art historian Oksana Semenik launched a social media campaign encouraging museums around the world to reassess the national identities of artists who have often been mislabelled as Russian.
In early 2023, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York began reclassifying the works of artists Ilya Repin, Ivan Aivazovsky, and Arkhip Kuindzhi, recognising them as Ukrainian artists. Previously, the museum had referred to them as Russian artists or artists celebrated in both Russia and Ukraine. In addition, the museum changed the title of a piece by French impressionist Edgar Degas. What was once known as Russian Dancers is now titled Ukrainian Dancers. In March 2023, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam began presenting Kazimir Malevich as a Ukrainian artist.
Ukraine’s path towards territorial integrity, institutional development, and a progressive future is still ongoing. Many of the reforms mentioned have proven effective and have been enshrined in legislation. Others will demonstrate their impact, along with areas needing further refinement, in the future. Despite imperfect results at times, mistakes, and external factors hindering progress, the past decade has been a period of significant change for Ukraine, showcasing the resilience and determination of Ukrainian society.
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The 1013th day of a ten-year invasion that has been going on for centuries.
One day closer to victory.
🇺🇦 HEROIAM SLAVA! 🇺🇦
by Ukrainer_UA
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🇺🇦 !
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