Since the 2022 invasion and ongoing war in Ukraine, the United Nations has verified damage to nearly 500 cultural and heritage buildings and sites including museums, monuments and cultural sites in Ukraine.

In this illustrated talk, we will trace the history of Ukrainian culture over the centuries, highlight the cultural damages caused by the war, and discuss the responses of artists, curators, and other cultural workers and organisations. We consider the re-imagining of ‘Ukraine’ from its current wartime image to its future rebuilding as a European cultural and tourism destination.

Presented by Dr Peter Vlachos (University of Greenwich) and Victoria Stepanets (independent art curator from Ukraine, currently based in London).

Image: UNESCO / Alexandre Larcan