On 28 August, the Embassy of Ukraine in India, in collaboration with the Istituto Italiano di Cultura di New Delhi, held a special screening of the full-length documentary Culture vs. War.

As part of the international Culture vs. War project, the evening also included a striking photo exhibition by Ukrainian photographer Serhiy Mykhalchuk, himself a participant of the initiative.

The film — created with the participation of renowned Ukrainian director Mykhailo Illienko and his team — tells the stories of Ukrainian cultural figures who, faced with Russia’s full-scale invasion, understood that they could not stand aside. Among them are actor Dmytro Linartovych, actor Yevhen Nyshchuk, cinematographer Yaroslav Pilunskyi, celebrated cinematographer and photographer Serhiy Mykhalchuk, the frontman of the band Antytila Taras Topolia, director and actor Akhtem Seitablaiev, poet and musician Serhiy Zhadan, photographers Kostiantyn and Vlada Liberov, and kobzar Taras Kompanichenko.

Some of them are serving in the Armed Forces; others are volunteering and working every day to support defenders and civilians in Ukraine’s fight for freedom. For each of them, this remains a deeply personal choice — to defend Ukraine, to defend its culture, and to safeguard its roots.

The Embassy of Ukraine sincerely thanks the team of the Italian Embassy Cultural Centre, and in particular its Director, Dr. Andrea Anastasio, for their warm collaboration in making this event possible.

We are also grateful to Дивись українське / Watch Ukrainian — thanks to their dedication and support, this powerful project was brought to Indian audiences.

Finally, we extend our appreciation to everyone who joined us. We deeply value the attention and solidarity of our Indian friends.