An outpouring of memes is helping Ukrainians cope through humor that often spills over into dark satire.
Russia
Why We Need a Post-Colonial Lens to Look at Ukraine and Russia
In a post-Soviet era we should consider how Russians continue to benefit from colonialism and imperialism in the realm of culture.
Artists at Risk Shares Resources for Ukrainian Artists Fleeing the War
The organization is helping relocate Ukrainians in urgent need of help as well as Russian dissidents who may be at risk of persecution.
How the Hermitage Museum Artwashes Russian Aggression
Collaborations with the State Hermitage Museum are particularly problematic since the director, Mikhail Piotrovsky, flaunts his bond with Putin.
Artists Withdraw Works From Russian Museums to Protest Invasion
Two artists have withdrawn their works from state-backed museums, and the curators of the Russian pavilion at the Venice Biennale resigned in protest.
Ukrainian Artists Speak Out As Invasion Intensifies
“We’ve been screaming into the void for years,” said artist Luba Drozd, who’s been active in raising awareness about the crisis in her home country.
As Russia Invades Ukraine, TikTokers Are Documenting the War
Mundane on-the-ground realities of warfare like urban bomb sirens in Kyiv to long lines outside gas stations hit the platform — but so does disinformation.
The Internet Has a Field Day with Another Absurdly Long Putin Table
The Russian president held a televised meeting with his advisors around another unusually long table, sparking another torrent of satirical memes.
Bored Security Guard Accused of Doodling on Avant-Garde Painting
Jeepers, creepers, we know exactly how this painting got those peepers.
Catherine the Great’s Pro-Vaccination Letter Heads to Auction
The sovereign led a mass vaccination campaign against smallpox that laid the groundwork for over two million Russians to be inoculated against the deadly disease
Film Reels Dredged from the Sea Become an Eerie Meditation on Mortality
Bill Morrison’s new documentary The Village Detective: A Song Cycle is an eerie meditation on mortality made from forgotten parts of cinema history.
The Photographers Who Captured Russia on the Eve of Its Revolution
Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky and Maxim Dmitriev documented drastically different facets of Russia in the late 1800s and early 1900s.