Since 2013, Vladimir Putin has argued that Ukrainians and Russians are “one people”. It’s an attempt to erase Ukrainian identity, part of an assault that has been ongoing for centuries.

Since the full-scale invasion in 2022, Russia has regularly targeted Ukraine’s cultural institutions and publishing ecosystem. This summer alone, Russian attacks have destroyed nearly 10 million books, eliminating approximately 74% of Ukraine’s 2026 book output according to analysis by Chytomo, Ukraine’s largest digital media platform for books, publishing and culture.

Russia is weaponising language and culture as part of its “Russian World” (Russkii Mir) agenda. Originating in the 1990s, it is a deliberately flexible concept that encompasses a geopolitical justification for interventionist policies, an ideological basis for conservative forces and a platform for soft power strategies. However, Ukrainian resolve has hardened in the face of it, with national unity strengthened and an ongoing reversal of Russification through a linguistic shift from Russian to Ukrainian.

Ukrainian culture has flourished despite Russia’s military onslaught, serving as a shield against efforts to erase Ukrainian identity. An increased understanding of Ukrainian culture........

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