Since 2023, the EUNIC Ukraine Fund has focused on mobilising support for contemporary Ukrainian culture, facilitating its presentation to audiences across Europe, broadening programming relations with the Ukrainian cultural sector, and embedding Ukrainian culture within wider European spheres.

The third edition of the fund marked an important shift. Working closely with the Ukrainian Institute and responding to its evolving needs, the fund was repositioned in 2025 to focus on building a longer-term presence and partnerships in strategically identified priority regions around the world.

The fund enabled the Ukrainian Institute to establish initial, concrete, and location-specific projects in new priority regions, including Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, India, and Indonesia.

Through the EUNIC Ukraine Fund, the Ukrainian Institute implemented a series of eight multidisciplinary projects. The programme supported artistic collaborations, participation in major international cultural platforms, research-based initiatives, and communication projects, reaching more than 3,000 participants and an estimated audience of 90,000 people through media and digital channels.

The Ukraine Fund 2025 budget totalled €103,500. It was made possible thanks to contributions from the Swedish Institute, DutchCulture, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Lithuanian Cultural Institute, the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, Czech Centres, and the EUNIC office.

Find out more about the projects below.

Argentina: Musical Collaboration & Festival of Ukrainian Culture

A two-part musical collaboration between DakhaBrakha (Ukraine) and Chango Spasiuk (Argentina).

Part 1 — Kyiv, June 2025
Chango Spasiuk concert
~500 attendees and ~15,000 reach
Live collaboration with DakhaBrakha, covered by national television.
The visit of the Argentine artist to Ukraine represented a personal and artistic homecoming connected to his Ukrainian ancestry. The journey was documented by his team as part of a film project scheduled for release in 2027.

Part 2 — Buenos Aires, September 2025
DakhaBrakha concert
~1,100 attendees · ~45,000 reach
Supported by the Buenos Aires City Government.
Chango Spasiuk participated as a special guest, mirroring the Kyiv collaboration.

The programme also included:

• A lecture at CARI
• Presentation of the Spanish-language online course Ukraine: History, Culture and Identities

South Africa: Shared Ground — Ukraine–South Africa Dialogues

Residency · 13 – 27 August 2025
Residency at NIROX Sculpture Park & Kromdraai Impact Hub.
Ukrainian artists Anastasiia Shcherban & Olha Fedorova worked alongside South African artist Diana Victor.
Supported by Democracy Works Foundation, Embassy of the Netherlands, MFA Poland, and National Heritage Council (SA).
Themes: children's rights, environmental challenges, dialogue across borders. New work created through common reflection and place.

Public event
Moderated by TEDxJohannesburg curator Thati Mokgoro.
Featured:
• Żanna Słoniowska – Ukrainian -born Polish novelist and academic
• Hlonipha Mokoena – South African historian
• Anastasiia Shcherban and Olha Fedorova - Ukrainian Institute -NIROX resident artists from Ukraine
• Nataliya Gumenyuk – a Ukrainian journalist

Three NIROX Dialogues podcast episodes.

Argentina: Ukraine at the Buenos Aires International Book Fair

The programme featured leading Ukrainian cultural figures: Writer Yurii Andrukhovych, and illustrators Romana Romanyshyn and Andrii Lesiv (Art Studio Agrafka).

Supported by: The Ukrainian community in Argentina, Embassy of Ukraine in Argentina, and Buenos Aires International Book Fair.

Literary Programme, 2–4 May
Yurii Andrukhovych presented Ukrainian texts alongside Spanish translations during the XVIII International Poetry Festival.
Panel discussion: Language as an Instrument of Resistance with writer María Rosa Lojo.
Public conversation with Argentine journalist and editor Eduardo Slyusarchuk.

Visual Programme, 10–11 May
Children’s workshop: Creating Your Own Ex Libris
Professional talk: Illustration as a Reflection of Culture

Mexico: Ukrainian Programme at the Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL)

Featured authors: poet Halyna Kruk and writer Natalka Sniadanko.
Organised with FIL Guadalajara and the Embassy of Ukraine in Mexico.

Panel discussion: Fiction, Conflict, Memory
The discussion brought together Ukrainian writer Natalkа Sniadanko, Spanish novelist Javier Cercas, and Francisco André, Ambassador of the European Union to Mexico.
The event generated significant public interest, with audiences engaging deeply with the topic.

Poetry readings
Equally strong impressions were made by Halyna Kruk’s poetry readings. Her work was presented in both Ukrainian and Spanish.
The strong reception sparked interest among professionals in the potential publication of a Spanish -language poetry collection.

Panel discussion: Experience, Narratives, and Resilience
Both authors also participated in the discussion moderated by a Mexican writer and journalist, Ana Clavel.
The conversation focused on literature written by women during times of conflict.

South Africa: Dance performance - The Forest - at the National Arts Festival 2025

Dance-theatre performance inspired by Lesya Ukrainka’s drama and created in Cape Town by a Ukrainian director working with South African actors.

Theatre performance by Ukrainian director with South African actors, inspired by Lesya Ukrainka's drama. Created in Cape Town.
Supported by: Ukrainian Association of South Africa, choreographer Kateryna Alyoshyna, Embassy of Ukraine in South Africa, National Arts Festival.

Performance
4 shows at South Africa's largest performing arts festival. Brought
together local and Ukrainian artistic perspectives through theatre.

Ovation Award
Recognised as one of the most outstanding performances in the fringe
programme. Late -stage support proved highly effective.

Indonesia & South Africa: “Ukrainian Traces” Communication Campaign — Research Phase

The Ukrainian Institute launched the research phase of Ukrainian Traces, a long-term communication initiative aimed at identifying and documenting historical and contemporary figures of Ukrainian origin who have influenced cultural, political, scientific, and social life in partner countries.

The initiative seeks to restore visibility to Ukraine’s international presence and contributions, particularly in contexts where these histories have been overlooked or misattributed within broader Soviet or Russian narratives.

Indonesia Focus
Cold War-era development projects
Partner: Universitas Airlangga

South Africa Focus
Anti-apartheid and anti-colonial movements
Partner: Ukrainian Association of South Africa

South Africa: Shared Ground — Ukraine–South Africa Dialogues

Residency · 13 – 27 August 2025
Residency at NIROX Sculpture Park & Kromdraai Impact Hub.
Ukrainian artists Anastasiia Shcherban & Olha Fedorova worked alongside South African artist Diana Victor.
Supported by Democracy Works Foundation, Embassy of the Netherlands, MFA Poland, and National Heritage Council (SA).
Themes: children's rights, environmental challenges, dialogue across borders. New work created through common reflection and place.

Public event
Moderated by TEDxJohannesburg curator Thati Mokgoro.
Featured:
• Żanna Słoniowska – Ukrainian -born Polish novelist and academic
• Hlonipha Mokoena – South African historian
• Anastasiia Shcherban and Olha Fedorova - Ukrainian Institute -NIROX resident artists from Ukraine
• Nataliya Gumenyuk – a Ukrainian journalist

Three NIROX Dialogues podcast episodes.

India: Festival of Ukrainian Culture in India - Restructured Programme

New Delhi Book Fair · Kolkata Book Fair · Jaipur Literature Festival
1 -Joint programme with the Austrian Cultural Forum, including the panels: Working Across Time and Literature in Times of Upheaval.
2 - First-ever Ukrainian participation in the Kolkata Book Fair. Readings by Liubko Deresh and Yulia Musakovska. Presentation of Bengali translations of Taras Shevchenko.
3- Yulia Musakovska presented her collection God of Freedom during international poetry readings.

Serendipity Arts Festival, Goa
Professional exchange with South Asian cultural practitioners.

Jazz Concerts, New Delhi & Gurgaon
A series of Ukrainian-Austrian jazz concerts featuring Ukrainian pianist Dr Taras Filenko in collaboration with the Michaela Rabitsch and Robert Pawlik Trio.

Online Course Presentation
Ukraine: History, Culture, and Identities in Hindi.