Ukraine’s culture has become a central battleground in its war with Russia, with both sides recognizing its power to shape national identity and resistance. Russia’s systematic destruction of Ukrainian museums, churches, and libraries — costing an estimated $3.5 billion in damage — reflects a deliberate strategy to erase symbols of Ukrainian sovereignty. These attacks are paired with propaganda denying Ukraine’s distinct identity, revealing a cultural war as critical as the military conflict.
Russia has targeted over 350 cultural sites since 2022, including historic churches and repositories of Ukrainian literature. This mirrors Soviet-era tactics to suppress non-Russian identities, with occupiers replacing Ukrainian schoolbooks with Russian curricula in captured territories. UNESCO calls it “cultural cleansing”, aiming to sever Ukrainians from their history.
Ukrainians are rejecting Russian cultural influence, pulping 75 tons of Russian-language books to fund the war effort. This shift contrasts with Soviet times, when Russian dominated public life. Today, even Russian-speaking regions increasingly embrace Ukrainian — a rejection of Putin’s claim that Ukrainians and Russians are “one people”.
The war has revived interest in controversial 20th-century Ukrainian figures who resisted Soviet rule, despite some collaborating with Nazi Germany. This reflects a broader reevaluation of history to counter Moscow’s narrative that Ukraine lacks legitimate statehood.
Ukrainian artists now focus on patriotic themes, using traditional embroidery and folk motifs in anti-war protests. Museums risk shelling to evacuate artifacts, while archaeologists document damage for future war crimes trials. These efforts treat culture as armor against annihilation.
The Kremlin understands that destroying a people’s culture makes conquest easier. But Ukraine’s defiant cultural resilience — from language revival to underground theater performances — suggests this strategy may backfire, hardening national unity against Russian claims of fraternity.
