Beyond bombs and missiles, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sparked interest in Ukrainian culture. Director of Ukrainian Institute Volodymyr Sheiko tells TOI how the war has galvanised Ukrainian culture as response to Russia’s imperialist project:
Why do you think there is so little recognition and understanding of Ukrainian culture, at least in South Asia?
The first reason is just geographical distance. We clearly see this through the research of international perceptions of Ukraine in different regions we have been doing at the Ukrainian Institute. Usually the farther a country is from Ukraine, the less that society would know about Ukraine and Ukrainian culture. Because there are fewer people-to-people contacts, less mobility between Ukraine and countries farther away, the organic cultural links with South Asia are fewer.
Why do you think there is so little recognition and understanding of Ukrainian culture, at least in South Asia?
The first reason is just geographical distance. We clearly see this through the research of international perceptions of Ukraine in different regions we have been doing at the Ukrainian Institute. Usually the farther a country is from Ukraine, the less that society would know about Ukraine and Ukrainian culture. Because there are fewer people-to-people contacts, less mobility between Ukraine and countries farther away, the organic cultural links with South Asia are fewer.