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The Cultural Frontline: Ukrainian artists’ response to the war

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Ukrainian artists’ response to the war

02/04/2022 GMT

BBC World Service - The Cultural Frontline, Ukrainian artists’ response to the war

How Ukrainian artists have reacted to the war

Writer Andrey Kurkov, film producer Darya Bassel, violinist Illia Bondarenko and artist Pavlo Makov share their experiences and how they are reflecting the war in their art

Over a month into the Ukraine conflict, Anu Anand speaks to its artistic community and hears their personal stories.

As ballet dancers join the front line, sculptors build road blocks and galleries protect their art, we hear from Darya Bassel, Film Producer and industry head at Kyiv’s Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival about how filmmakers have been turning their lenses to the frontline. 

One of Ukraine’s greatest writers Andrey Kurkov reflects on life in war-torn Ukraine. Like so many others he has had to leave his home with his family and Andrey has written a personal account for the BBC of what it means to become a refugee in his own homeland and of his new routine living in a country at war.

Conceptual artist Pavlo Makov is representing Ukraine at this year’s Venice Art Biennale. He explains how he got part of his work, The Fountain of Exhaustion, quickly got out of the country and how the piece, which started as a local idea, became a global statement about the exhaustion of humanity and a democratic world.

And the story behind the viral violin orchestra video of the old Ukrainian folk song, Verbovaya Doschechka, that starts with a single player in his basement shelter. Illia Bondarenko tells us why it was important for him to be part of this project and how it was recorded between the bombing and the sirens.

(Photo:  Andrey Kurkov)

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