OP-ED

Marina Pesenti: Hard realities threaten Ukraine’s soft power ambitions

By Marina Pesenti.

Published July 30, 2020. Updated July 30 at 2:20 pm

A woman wearing a vyshyvanka poses for pictures at a monument decorated with face masks and vyshyvankas in Kyiv on May 21, 2020, during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. People wear vyshyvankas, a traditional Ukrainian embroidered blouse, to mark Vyshyvanka Day, a holiday to popularize Ukrainian ethnic culture and traditions.

Photo by AFP

“Our task is to make sure Ukraine finds its voice in cultural relations,” says Volodymyr Sheiko, the first General Director of the fledgling Ukrainian Institute. Established in August 2018, the Ukrainian Institute (UI) is an ambitious initiative that aims to make the most of Ukraine’s considerable untapped soft power potential.