People of Culture Taken Away By The War

The cultural figures killed during the Russian-Ukrainian full-scale war include dozens of men and women who were writers, musicians, translators, librarians, artists, photographers, archeologists, conductors… Some of these individuals were known to the public, while others were familiar only to a narrow circle of colleagues. Two things united them: firstly, their work made up the fabric of Ukrainian culture. Secondly, they were all killed by Russia.

The joint project, People of Culture Taken Away By The War, a collaboration between PEN Ukraine and The Ukrainians Media, serves a dual purpose: preserving the memory of individuals whom Ukrainian culture has lost in the war and simultaneously bearing witness to Russia’s genocidal intent. PEN Ukraine keeps tracking losses among cultural activists.

People of Culture Taken Away By The War is a series of portraits that emerged in the process of studying these people’s achievements, conversations with their relatives and colleagues, and journeys across Ukraine. Despite their inevitable partiality and inexhaustibility, these reportage-biographical essays form a map that proves valuable in studying the legacies of the heroes of this project.

"As long as the writer is being read, he is still alive," the author Viktoria Amelina, who was killed in a Russian missile strike, wrote in the preface to the occupation diary of the children’s book author Volodymyr Vakulenko, who was tortured and killed by Russians. Prompted by Viktoria’s words, we embarked on this endeavor.