Cultural diplomacy, like culture itself in its most diverse forms, has taken on a new meaning in the past 2 years. Currently, it is, among other things, one of the effective formats of conveying the truth about Ukraine and the war in Ukraine, and more broadly, an explanation and understanding of what Ukraine and its culture actually are, what its self-sufficiency and diversity are, and how this energy manifested itself at various historical stages despite predominantly unfavorable social and political contexts.
Since the first days of the Great War, Ukrainian diplomacy has emphasized the global consequences of Russian aggression, which will affect the whole world. This seems obvious to us, but in many cases, we have to explain. That is why Ukrainian diplomacy has made unprecedented efforts to ensure that the world hears about Ukraine every day.
It is pretty evident that Russia is waging a war against Ukraine not only for territories, population, or natural resources. This is a war against culture, language, identity, history, and the right to one's own geopolitical choice. Whenever culture is instrumentalized, it is no longer a cultural exchange. This is propaganda, and the current war in Ukraine is a deeply cultural war. Therefore, the survival, post-war recovery, and well-being of Ukraine, in particular, will depend on whether it will have a distinct and competitive cultural face in the world.
Breaking colonial hierarchies
Ukraine's search for and acquisition of its own cultural identity is impossible without emancipation and separation from the imperial and colonial heritage of the USSR. It is not surprising that since the first days of the full-scale invasion, the majority of Ukrainian cultural activists and public intellectuals armed themselves with the terminology and apparatus of decolonial studies, explaining to foreigners the reasons for the Russian-Ukrainian war, criticizing one-sided, prejudiced, and superficial views of Ukrainian culture and history. Taking into account that the focus on the war is decreasing over time, it is necessary to continue to conduct an international discussion about outdated colonial hierarchies, which are especially clearly manifested in important cultural venues: museums, film festivals, biennials, concert halls - and still distort the perception of Ukraine and Eastern Europe in the world.
The war opened many doors for cultural diplomacy, which until February 24 were barely open or completely inaccessible. Ukrainian culture suddenly received broad representation and recognition in leading museums, theaters, festivals, locations, and universities, both at the level of projects and personal contacts between culture specialists. More than a million people listened to Timothy Snyder's lecture course "The Making of Modern Ukraine" at Yale University, in which he examines the formation of the modern image of Ukraine through the pivotal events of European history and decolonization.
However, it should not be assumed that the cultural progress of Ukraine will be easy and cloudless in the future. Every day, we observe a staggering level of ignorance, insensitivity, and even arrogance from some foreign partners. They know about Ukraine, but they are still far from understanding it. So, for example, among all European countries, France, Germany, and Italy are considered almost the most difficult for wartime cultural diplomacy. There are many reasons: the long-standing sentiment towards the imperial culture of Russia, the historical trauma of World War II, the habit of not noticing the historical and cultural significance of the countries "to the east of Berlin," the widespread penetration of Russian narratives in the media, humanitarianism, cultural policies, etc.
By 2024, Ukraine already has the invaluable experience of cultural dialogue with the world, acquired after February 24, in extremely difficult conditions.
Some challenges and trends that will influence this dialogue this year:
Cultural diplomacy should finally become an important component of foreign and humanitarian policy. It should also receive adequate resource support and the readiness of the state apparatus to promote its development. Post-war recovery needs a compelling cultural voice.
The sphere of culture and cultural diplomacy survived 2022 and 2023 in many aspects thanks to the support of foreign partners and donors. In the future, this support should be converted into long-term, strategic programs, especially for those institutions and artists who have returned or remained in Ukraine.
Cultural diplomacy should be extended to the key countries of the Global South, in which Ukraine's cultural presence has been extremely limited until now. Among them are Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, India, and Indonesia. For this work, the Ukrainian Institute and Ukrainian embassies will have to develop new expertise and capacity for their teams.
Support for Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar studies in foreign universities and analytical centers should become a cornerstone of cultural diplomacy. Centers of Slavic studies should be transformed into inclusive centers, where the focus of attention will be expanded from Russia to Ukraine and other Eastern European countries.
Currently, Ukrainians have a wide window of opportunities for active communication in the world. This is an opportunity to reveal yourself, to awaken interest in Ukrainian culture and Ukraine. In order for this to be as effective as possible, Ukrainian diplomacy should act from a single, agreed position and also combine the efforts of cultural institutions, individual figures, and diplomatic institutions as much as possible. Everything that polarizes the intellectual community and society in general makes Ukraine weaker, sows pro-Russian narratives, and weakens its image in the international arena. Here, it is essential to be uncompromising and responsible. And not to go to the margins - not to simply cheer for blue and yellow, not to strengthen stereotypes about Ukrainian culture, but to carry precise meanings and highlight the cultural heritage. Cultural diplomacy is a soft but powerful force. It complements and continues the struggle waged at the front by Ukrainian defenders, among whom many representatives of the cultural field are.