How a Song, a Stage, and a Story Became Ukraine’s Shield

In the face of tanks and terror, what good is a theater play? What power does a song have against missiles? According to Dr. Anna Korzeniowska-Bihun, more than we might think.

In her article Cultural Projects as a Tool of Anthropological Defense, Korzeniowska-Bihun reveals how Ukrainian artists, writers, and performers have become cultural warriors—defending not just land, but identity. While traditional warfare tears buildings down, cultural resistance rebuilds meaning. And in Ukraine, meaning matters. Language, memory, folklore—these are not just remnants of the past, but tools of the present struggle.

The article explores how artistic expression functions as a form of anthropological defense—a term that may sound academic, but on the streets of Lviv, Kyiv, and Kharkiv, is anything but abstract. Murals, poetry, films, and performance art are shaping a narrative of resilience. They give voice to a country under siege, and more importantly, they remind the world—and Ukrainians themselves—who they are.

While bombs aim to erase, culture insists on remembering.

It’s easy to dismiss these projects as soft power, or worse, sentimentalism. But what this article argues is that culture is strategic. When history is distorted and language weaponized, reclaiming one’s story becomes an act of defense. In Ukraine, culture isn’t escaping the war—it’s part of the front line.

Full article in Wiedza Obronna, 2021, Vol. 274 No. 1