Culture as a Backbone of Resilience During the War?
We invite you to a discussion with two leading Ukrainian public intellectuals to explore how the roles of culture and religious infrastructure are changing in the context of war.
Speakers:
Nataliia Kryvda — Doctor of Philosophy, Professor at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, cultural studies scholar, and Chair of the Supervisory Board of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation.
Nataliia Kryvda will discuss the role of culture in strengthening societal resilience, preserving collective identity, and enhancing society’s ability to withstand hostile external influence. She will focus in particular on the Ukrainian experience — on how language, collective memory, traditions, the arts, and cultural heritage help create shared meanings, maintain intergenerational continuity, and strengthen a society’s sense of agency and cultural sovereignty. In this context, culture becomes one of the key factors sustaining Ukrainian resistance and requires appropriate protection and support.
Rena Marutian — Director of the Institute for National Resilience and Security (INSB), Professor at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
Rena Marutian will present a new study by the Institute for National Resilience and Security (INRS), The Russian Orthodox Church in Europe: An Infrastructure of Russian Influence. The study examines the religious infrastructure associated with Russian Orthodoxy and its role as one of the channels through which Russian influence is exercised in Europe. She will also analyse the new risks posed by this infrastructure in the context of war and outline measures needed to address them without undermining the principle of religious tolerance, an integral part of European identity.
Date: 24 September 2026, 3:00 PM
Location: The ‘Ujazdowski Castle’ Centre for Contemporary Art in Warsaw, Poland
Language: English
Organizers: Ukrainian Catholic University Foundation in Poland, Ukraiński Dom. The event will be held under the under the patronage of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Poland
For any questions, please contact: olena.zots@ukrainskidom.pl