By KYIV. Nov 18 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy says it does not call for the isolation of representatives of the Russian cultural community who share democratic values and publicly condemn the war in Ukraine.
"The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy opposes any cultural dialogue with the aggressor. From the very beginning of the large-scale aggression, until the moment the troops are withdrawn, we note the importance of ending cooperation with all state Russian institutions in the field of culture and media, as well as with those representatives of Russia abroad, who frankly support the war supported by the Putin regime and who do not consider, if necessary, to express a clear position of condemnation, keeping silent about the war in Ukraine," the ministry’s press service has said.
In addition, the ministry urges to refuse cooperation in any projects with those cultural figures who, in violation of Ukrainian legislation, crossed the borders of the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories – Luhansk and Donetsk regions and Crimea.
"During the war, not a single Russian-Ukrainian reconciliation through culture is possible. Under no circumstances. Any theses about ‘fraternal peoples’ and a common culture are only manipulative, which we at the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy strongly urge to perceive as humiliating the subjectivity of the Ukrainian people and his own cultural heritage," the ministry said.
The department also believes that the Kremlin uses culture as a propaganda tool, following the example of the Nazis.
"Attempts now, during active hostilities on our territory, to give the floor to representatives of the aggressor and Ukraine at the same venues is an attempt to level the horrors of the war, legitimizing Russian propaganda narratives regarding Ukraine. The participation of Ukrainian artists and artists in joint projects with Russians under the slogan ‘we are for peace’ is an attempt to manipulate the real causes of the war in Ukraine unleashed by the Putin regime," the ministry said.
The ministry says it does not support such formats of events.
At the same time, the department appeals to Ukrainian artists abroad with a request to be the voice of original Ukrainian culture on world stages and discussion platforms.
"We also note that we do not call for the isolation of representatives of the Russian cultural community who share democratic values and publicly condemn the war in Ukraine. Who call a spade a spade and note that the political responsibility for aggression in Ukraine lies with Russia because Ukraine is a tolerant European state based on democratic values," the ministry said.
However, the department said they do not see it as possible and appropriate for representatives of Ukrainian culture to cooperate or otherwise interact with such figures in the public arena.
