The importance of Ukrainian cultural diplomacy has grown significantly in the wake of Russia’s invasion and occupation of Ukraine. As Ukrainian sovereignty and identity face direct threats, cultural diplomacy has emerged as a vital countermeasure, reinforcing narratives of resilience, unity, and cultural richness on the global stage.
Music plays a unique role in Ukrainian resistance, transcending the country’s “double periphery”—its marginal position between the EU and Russia.
Anna Stavychenko, founder and director of the 1991 Project, participated in a Prague conference this November titled “Ukrainian Diplomacy and Musical Creation 2014–2024.”
The conference was organized as part of the research project A Subaltern That Sings, led by Valeria Korablyova (Charles University) and Louisa Martin-Chevalier (Sorbonne University). This initiative explores the intersection of musical production and political resistance. It brought together experts—musicologists, ethnomusicologists, anthropologists of music, sociologists, and political scientists—to compare theoretical frameworks and present current research on these themes.
Stavychenko contributed to the roundtable discussion, “Ukraine’s Musical Diplomacy: Various National Contexts,” alongside panelists Birgit Ellinghaus (music manager), Liubov Morozova (Ukrainian Institute), and Oleksandra Saienko (UStream, Vienna). The discussion focused on promoting Ukrainian music globally, addressing challenges to sustaining Ukrainian repertoire in international programming, and exploring strategies for broader recognition.
Learn more about the 1991 Project
Read our recent feature about the 1991 Project's initiative to deliver instruments to students in Ukraine. To inquire about how to donate instruments, please reach out directly to Anna Stavychenko.
The 1991 Project is a Paris-based initiative dedicated to promoting Ukraine’s rich musical heritage and supporting Ukrainian musicians affected by the war. The project highlights Ukrainian repertoire from the Classical era to the present, drawing connections to Western cultural trends and amplifying the visibility of Ukrainian artists on international stages, as well as engaging globally recognized artists to perform Ukrainian music. Guided by principles of social entrepreneurship and feminist leadership, the project exemplifies a forward-thinking approach to cultural advocacy.
Led by Stavychenko—a musicologist, opera critic, and former executive director of the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra—the 1991 Project also works to preserve Ukrainian scores and helps deliver instruments to young musicians and schools in Ukraine. It also partners with the Columbia Global Paris Center and the Institute for Ideas and Imagination as a former project of the Displaced Artists Initiative.
