(NEW YORK) – Today marks the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. PEN America’s Freedom to Writer Center (FTWC) and Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) remain firmly committed to supporting Ukrainian artists, writers, and other culture professionals.
“In this war, culture is a primary target, and the destruction of hundreds of places where Ukrainians experience culture and history is key to Putin’s goal of completely destroying Ukrainian identity. By raising awareness of this campaign and documenting the devastation, we hope to play a small role in making sure that these crimes are not forgotten when the time to account arrives,” said Liesl Gerntholtz, PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Center director.
“Ukrainian artists, through every brushstroke, photograph, and creative concept, serve as guardians of the country’s rich history and culture, guaranteeing the ongoing vibrancy and evolution of Ukrainian art far into the future. Enabling them to continue to create is an act of solidarity and a powerful form of resistance against Putin’s targeted program of cultural erasure,” said Julie Trébault, Artists at Risk Connection director.
In December 2023 the FTWC made a submission to the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine into the attacks on Ukrainian cultural infrastructure. The submission referenced PEN America’s report Ukrainian Culture Under Attack: Erasure of Ukrainian Culture in Russia’s War Against Ukraine, which…
