Music, comedy, performances, literature panels, poetry readings and movie screenings offer an alternative way of processing the pain, trauma and uncertainty cause by the war. Telling and hearing different Ukrainians’ stories helps shape new narratives and create a fuller picture of the gravity of the war’s impact throughout Europe.
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International Women’s Day: Letterenfonds Winners
Who run the world? VATAHA’s girls! To celebrate International Women’s Day 2025, we spotlight our five Letterenfonds grant winners – all Ukrainian women who have wielded clay, photography, posters, translations and book printing to speak volumes of Ukrainian visual and literary arts.
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‘Boycotting’ the IFFR 2025
Ukrainian film director Mariia Ponomarova is actively disengaging from the International Film Festival Rotterdam this year. Despite this edition’s impressive lineup of Ukrainian film screenings, the IFFR’s decision to continue to uplift russian cinema and its self-victimization narratives is reason enough for anyone to keep their distance.
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6 Ukrainian Books to Gift This Christmas
Discover the perfect Christmas gift with our curated list of Ukrainian books, from literature to cookbooks. Celebrate Ukrainian culture this holiday season by sharing them with your loved ones.
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Ukraine at the 54th Poetry International Festival Rotterdam
This week, from June 6 to 9, the largest poetry festival in the country took place in the Netherlands – the 54th Poetry International Festival Rotterdam. Oksana Stomina, a Ukrainian poet from Mariupol, was invited to the festival.
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Introducing the winning projects of the Letterenfonds Foundation!
We have great news to share with you! Five artists from our Ukrainian community won grants from the Support Programme for Ukrainian Artists 2024 financed by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands! This means that very soon you will be…
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“I dream of the sea and the surfing and big seagulls”.
On World Poetry Day, March 21, at the Design Museum Dedel in The Hague, we organised a unique poetry evening in memory of Maksym Kryvtsov, a warrior of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a poet who died at the age of 33 at the beginning of 2024 in the Russian-Ukrainian…
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Wartime Poetry: Reading & Discussion
This discussion evening will dive into the topics of struggle, courage, love, and the unbreakable spirit of Ukrainians. With readings by Vitalii Byrchak, Yuliya Vrotna and Daria Lysenko.
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Panel discussion on the Future of Ukraine
In cooperation with Vataha, the ABBA student association is organizing a series of panel discussions at Leiden University.
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Movie screening Casa Nostra
Vataha, the Embassy of Ukraine to the Netherlands, and Haarlem4Ukraine organized a film screening of the movie ‘Casa Nostra. Mom is leaving’ with the famous actress and activist Irma Vitovska at Maca Amsterdam. The screening and Q&A turned into a celebration of Ukrainian contemporary cinema.
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Ти де? | Waar ben je? Magazine Launch
VATAHA’s “Ти де? | Waar Ben Je” magazine gave occasion to a panel discussion on how storytelling can express empathy for migrants, take control of their own narrative, help with trauma healing. Themed “On The Way”, the magazine’s first edition brought together the stories of Ukrainians’ travels to the Netherlands…
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Haska Shyyan Literature Panel
Ukrainian author Haska Shyyan joined forces with VATAHA to foster dialog on the complexities of wartime and its consequences while living abroad. She read excerpts from her award-winning novel Behind The Back (2019) at the literature event made possible by the Ukrainian Embassy in the Netherlands.
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Magazine Ти де? / Where are you?
Magazine “Where are you?” collects stories of Ukrainians who left for the Netherlands because of the war. The theme of the first issue is the road. For two days, Ukrainian displaced persons living in The Netherlands came together to tell their stories of departure and journey, rescue, and evacuation. The…