Join us for our Winter Fundraiser on 5 December at The Garden Cinema in Covent Garden! It’ll be a fun night, and you’ll be helping to support the work of the @ukrinstitute.bsky.social. Today’s the final day for early bird tickets! Book here: www.tickettailor.com/events/ukrai...

I’m looking forward to delivering a keynote address at this year’s Berlin Conference! Friends in Berlin, join us on 6 November at Französische Friedrichstadtkirche. Check out the full programme here: www.stiftungzukunftberlin.eu/wp-content/u...

This piece has been simmering inside me for a while. I’d like it to be the final text I write about my cancer journey, but, of course, the end is never truly the end. Thanks for reading. If you know someone undergoing treatment, please consider sharing it with them. open.substack.com/pub/olesyakh...

We’re starting our online Istoria course on 28 October! I’m thrilled to see so many people already enrolled and can’t wait to meet you all soon. If you haven’t registered yet, there’s still time. Just follow this link: www.tickettailor.com/events/ukrai.... Let’s explore Ukrainian history together!

I had the pleasure of giving a keynote address at the Aleksanteri Conference. Many thanks to Brendan Humphreys for his thoughtful and sensitive hosting, to the @aleksanteri-uh.bsky.social for the invitation, and to everyone who came along and joined the discussion. 📷 Miranda Jakiša.

Powerful talk yesterday by @okhromeychuk.bsky.social on Russia's war against Ukraine - against autonomy, identity and resilience of Ukraine - thank you for visiting Finland & @aleksanteri-uh.bsky.social

Friends in Helsinki, I’ll be giving a keynote this Thursday at the Aleksanteri Conference ‘Extremisms: Ambiguities, Ideologies, Agency’. Would love to see you there! Many thanks to the @aleksanteri-uh.bsky.social for inviting me! More details here: tapahtumat.helsinki.fi/en-FI/page/6...

Today’s your last chance to take advantage of our early bird discount for the Istoria course! From 28 Oct, we’ll be delving into Ukrainian history with an incredible group of scholars. It’s been such a joy to put this course together, and I know it’ll be just as rewarding to attend. 🔗👇

In her keynote plenary at #Aleksanteri2025 23 Oct 13:30-14:45 historian and writer @okhromeychuk.bsky.social explores how we decide what to carry into an uncertain future, and how we can carry it together. Find the abstract and the link to the livestream here: tapahtumat.helsinki.fi/en-FI/page/6...

🎙️ The new episode of our Ukraine Shelf podcast is out! Recorded at the @edbookfest.bsky.social in August, this conversation features Philippe Sands and Oksana Maksymchuk. I’m deeply grateful to our guests for not shying away from difficult questions and for speaking with such integrity. 🔗👇

I’m thrilled that @ukrinstitute.bsky.social's Istoria course is back! It’s been such a joy curating it and bringing together friends and colleagues who are leading experts in Ukrainian history. We start on 28 Oct, and there’s an early bird discount until 19 Oct. See you online! Link👇

This issue of the London Ukrainian Review holds a special place in my heart, and I can’t think of a better way to spend the weekend than reading it from cover to cover. The theme, culture as security, is one I’ve spoken about for years, trying to convey a simple truth: 🧵1/10

If you weren’t able to join our conversation with Elif Shafak, Hisham Matar, and Tanja Maljartschuk in person, you can now watch the full recording at your convenience on our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAZB...

Nouvelle lecture, "La mort d’un frère" par @okhromeychuk.bsky.social paru au @editionsduseuil.bsky.social. Un livre touchant et d’une grande finesse à mettre entre toutes les mains. #Ukraine

What an honour to share the stage last night with Elif Shafak, Hisham Matar and Tanja Maljartschuk. The conversation will stay with me for the depth of thought, and for the rare, courageous vulnerability each of them brought to the room.

Delighted to be featured in this month’s Meet the Haymaker series. Read the interview here: www.hayfestival.com/internationa... And join us tomorrow for ‘Fighting forgottenness – stories of hope and resilience’ with Tanja Maljartschuk, Hisham Matar & Elif Shafak: www.hayfestival.com/p-24382-figh...

On 30 September, join us for a powerful discussion on the experiences of Ukrainian political prisoners past and present, featuring Maksym Butkevych, Stanislav Aseyev, and Oksana Kis, moderated by Samantha Knights. Registration: www.tickettailor.com/events/ukrai...

🎬 Got your tickets yet? The Ukrainian Film Festival is coming to the heart of London, 18–21 September! Don’t miss this powerful lineup of films. Watch the trailer and get your tickets 🎟️ in the thread🧵below.

A podcast not to be missed by anyone who wants to understand #Ukraine. I've just devoured all 5 episodes. Thank you @okhromeychuk.bsky.social & @uilleamblacker.bsky.social for this crucial contribution. I particularly liked the fascinating episode on Crimea! www.olesyakhromeychuk.com/projects/the...

I spoke on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme about Ukraine’s Independence Day: what happened 34 years ago, and how that history explains the determination to defend the country’s statehood and independence today. Listen in full (from 22:50) here: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m....

Friends in London! Tickets for our annual film festival are now on sale. They usually sell out quickly, so don’t wait! We have a brilliant line-up of films and post-screening conversations, including in-person Q&As with Mstyslav Chernov and Andrey Kurkov. Full programme and tickets below.👇

Looking for something uplifting today? The latest Ukraine Shelf episode explores food: how it nourishes, connects, and helps overcome trauma. @uilleamblacker.bsky.social and I chat with chef and activist @oliahercules.bsky.social, and journalist and volunteer Felicity Spector. 🎧 Link below.

Predictably, the Alaska summit didn’t produce anything even worthy of a footnote in the history books — no peace deal, not even a token ceasefire. The only thing that will be remembered is that a red carpet was rolled out for a war criminal on American soil. 1/2

When @okhromeychuk.bsky.social heard Trump speak of swapping territories, she couldn’t help but wonder: could the Hutsul’s prayer be answered at last? www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/world/europe... in @prospectmagazine.co.uk

Perhaps Trump should give Alaska to Russia in exchange for peace in Ukraine. It sounds absurd. But it’s no more absurd than swapping Ukrainian land for Ukrainian land, writes @okhromeychuk.bsky.social.

'The Alaska summit won’t go down in history as a “Munich 2.0”. That ship sailed out into the Black Sea in 2014. [...] If this summit does make it into the history books, it will be remembered as an act of great betrayal. Europe, however, need not be complicit.' New piece for @prospectmagazine.co.uk👇

New Ukraine Shelf episode out now! @okhromeychuk.bsky.social and I spoke to @oliahercules.bsky.social and @felicityspector.bsky.social about Ukrainian food culture, how food sustains in wartime, the implications of the war for global food supplies and more. youtu.be/lwODG8kdTrM?...

The Edinburgh International Book Festival is always rich with meetings of minds and sparks of inspiration! I’m deeply grateful to my fellow panellists, Philippe Sands, Oksana Maksymchuk, Jen Stout, Roxani Krystalli, and Uilleam Blacker, for speaking with honesty, vulnerability, and generosity. 1/2

The theme of this year’s Edinburgh International Book Festival—Repair—speaks deeply to both panels I’m part of: a live recording of The Ukraine Shelf with Philippe Sands, Oksana Maksymchuk and my co-host Uilleam Blacker, and a tribute to Victoria Amelina with Jen Stout and Roxani Krystalli. Links👇.

Where there are citizens, there will be a state. When I was invited to reflect on how hope sustains democracy, I turned to the history of Ukrainian protest. Here's a reminder: Ukrainians defend their democracy in times of peace, and in times of war. 1/2

If you read nothing else today, read this.

'What better way to disguise a lack of courage than to frame it as the pursuit of peace?' I wrote about the cost of abstract pacifism, and why choosing comfort over courage comes at the expense of real lives. Read via @bylinetimes.bsky.social (no paywall): subscribe.bylinetimes.com/edition/75/o...

I’m really looking forward to speaking at this year’s Edinburgh International Book Festival. Together with Uilleam Blacker, I’ll be recording a new episode of the Ukraine Shelf podcast, with guests Philippe Sands and Oksana Maksymchuk. 1/2 www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival...

Writer Olesya Khromeychuk‬ @okhromeychuk.bsky.social spoke last week at @debalie.bsky.social. It was a great pleasure to host her. You can listen back to what she said.

I had the pleasure of speaking at European Literature Night recently, in a discussion about the role of culture in resisting indifference. Here’s a clip of me reflecting on why culture is always political, but I’d highly recommend watching the full recording on YouTube: youtu.be/oK9QlhCKq24?.... 1/2

The latest issue of The Byline Times features a piece that’s especially close to my heart. It explores war & love, but also the perils of peace & the healing power of hatred. It’s rooted in Lesia Ukrainka’s reflections on courageous love for one person versus the cowardly abstract love for all. 1/2

Change matters, even if it’s just a small win. Here are the Ukraine shelves at Librairie Mollat— France’s biggest indie bookshop—2025 vs 2020. No ru war criminals this time (a low bar, but still). Lovely to see ‘La mort d’un frère’ on display too.

One of the greatest joys of my role at the Ukrainian Institute London @ukrinstitute.bluesky.social has been watching our community of friends and supporters grow in numbers and diversity. Together, we grieve and dream, share sorrows and laugh until it hurts. 1/5

Two years ago today, a Russian missile killed Vika. She said that as long as a writer is read, they are alive. Read her. Remember her.

Last night at De Balie in Amsterdam, we explored the role of literature in times of indifference. There was a shared sense that art has the power to awaken empathy, but empathy alone is not enough. It must be translated into action. 1/2

What a memorable evening, full of warmth and solidarity! It was such a joy to hear excerpts from my book read in Dutch (thank you, Eva Peek!) and to be guided so thoughtfully by Anna Bezpala’s sensitive moderation. 1/2

Delighted to see my new piece 'On Love and War' in print in the latest issue of @bylinetimes.bsky.social magazine, and featured as one of the highlights! Grab a copy, it’s packed with thought-provoking reads including a text by @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social. bylinetimes.com

@okhromeychuk.bsky.social of @ukrinstitute.bsky.social 'We Are War: On Bearing Witness and Sharing Pain', talk at the University of Exeter now available on YouTube. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ueww...

Friends in the Netherlands, I’ll be speaking at the European Literature Night in Amsterdam on Saturday 28 June, and at a Literature Café in Haarlem on Friday 27 June. You’ll find links with more details below. Do come along. It would be so lovely to see you and catch up!

My dream team – Oksana, Olia, and Anton – have poured their hearts into creating a special evening of gratitude, reflection, and celebration. Our summer gathering takes place this Wednesday, 25 June, and if you haven’t got your ticket yet – there’s still time! 👇 1/2

Friends in Dublin! I’ll be speaking at two events this weekend at the Dalkey Book Festival. Hope to see many of you there—would love to catch up! 📅 Friday: Ukraine at War 16:30 – 17:30 📅 Saturday: Revolutions 15:00 – 16:00 🎟️ Links below.

Cultural diplomacy and public education aren’t luxuries — they’re matters of security. Help us turn curiosity into lasting engagement. Join @ukrinstitute.bsky.social's summer fundraiser: from soil to soul. Wed 25 June, 6:30 pm | Bishopsgate Institute. More info: www.tickettailor.com/events/ukrai...

I’ll be watching this tonight, and sharing my post-show reflections. Join me if you can! www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/j...

🌾 From Soil to Soul An evening of music, food & bold conversation in support of Ukrainian Institute London 🎙 Olia Hercules & Felicity Spector 🎶 Live jazz | 🍷 Ukrainian wine ⚡ Early birds end 6 June 🗓 25 June | 📍 Bishopsgate Institute 🎟 tickettailor.com/events/ukrainianinstitutelondon/1723024