“(Non) New Tools of Public Diplomacy During Wartime. Cinema and Music”

19.9.2025

On September 17, Olena Mezhenska and Liudmyla Novoskoltseva, lecturers at the Department of Political Science and International Relations, took part in the fifth event “(Non) New Tools of Public Diplomacy during Wartime. Cinema and Music” of the series “Woman in Diplomacy: Challenge or Mission?”.

During the meeting, Andrii Rizol, Honorary Ambassador 2024 in the nomination “Cultural Diplomacy”, presented the project “Culture vs. War” – 6 short films and one full-length film, an art book and photo exhibitions that tell the world the truth about the war in Ukraine. The heroes were artists who are today warriors and volunteers: cinematographer Serhii Mykhalchuk, Akhtem Seitablaiev, Serhii Zhadan, the band “Antitila”, Kostiantyn and Vlada Liberov, Mykhailo Illienko, Dmytro Linartovych, Yevhen Nyshchuk and Yaroslav Pilunskyi. Each story is a testament to the resilience and indomitability of the Ukrainian people. The film “Spromozhny” was also presented, the premiere of which will be held in November 2025.

The importance of Ukrainian music was emphasized by Tetiana Homon, head of the Liatoshynsky Foundation NGO, chamber musician, associate professor at the R. Glier Kyiv Municipal Academy of Music, musicologist and researcher of the legacy of Borys Liatoshynsky, a composer who determined the development of Ukrainian music in the 20th century and educated a whole galaxy of students. The main message was that Ukrainian music is not only art, but also a powerful tool of diplomacy. Its origins reach deep into the folk tradition, which preserved national identity in the most difficult historical periods. The names of classics and contemporary artists have become cultural ambassadors of Ukraine in the world, shaping the image of the state through the universal language of music. Thanks to such figures, Ukrainian music appears as an important tool of public diplomacy, a means of cultural dialogue and confirmation that Ukrainian culture is an integral part of European and world civilization.

Current topics and meaningful reports by Maryana Betsa, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, and Tetiana Sybiha, Head of the Center for Public Diplomacy of the Hennadii Udovenko Diplomatic Academy under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, co-founder and leader of the Association “Spouses of Ukrainian Diplomats”, a public figure who became a real intellectual inspiration for the participants of the event. We sincerely thank you for your valuable ideas and inspiring speeches!

Special thanks to the organizers of the project and meeting: Iryna Matiash and the Scientific Society for the History of Diplomacy and International Relations and the Hanns Seidel Foundation in Ukraine for creating a space for professional growth!

Department of Political Science and International Relations