USAID/Ukraine’s “New Pages of Ukrainian Heroism” campaign tells the stories of women who are making history, working behind the frontlines to support Ukraine’s defense and reconstruction. Follow the campaign @USAIDUkraine on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Katya Taylor is an art curator and the founder of Port of Culture, a civil society organization that promotes Ukrainian cultural initiatives among domestic and international audiences. She was forced to flee her native city of Luhansk in 2014, moving to Kyiv to continue her work.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale war last year, her organization has worked to raise global awareness of Ukrainian art and culture. At the same time, they have helped Ukrainians better understand their own culture.
She views this work as essential for a nation under attack not only by the Kremlin’s bullets and bombs, but by attempts to crush its culture and national identity.
“Our work is preventative medicine,” Katya explains.
“Culture is not entertainment, it is a basic need. But we as a nation were able to truly grasp this only after the start of the war. It became necessary to better understand our own culture, our very identity, to understand what being Ukrainian is, what makes us unique.”
“Now our core mission,” she continues, “to improve the quality of life through art and culture, has been enhanced by a diplomatic role: to show Ukrainian culture to the world. We are finding our place on the world cultural map.”
USAID is proud to support these efforts, including by helping Port of Culture create Ukrainian murals in Vienna, Berlin, Marseille, and Nairobi, with more planned.
When asked how she hopes to be remembered by future generations, Katya’s answer was clear and concise:
“I want people to know that our cultural projects brought Ukraine closer to victory.”
Near the end of our conversation, we asked Katya about her vision for postwar Ukraine:
“Progressive, open to change, truly democratic, where people learn to be equal. Where civil society is active, there is no corruption, private businesses and grassroots initiatives are developing, and the state supports and stimulates these changes. Tolerant to people who are different from the majority, ambitious and definitely in the prime of their creativity, which will explode with the brightest celebration as soon as the war is over.”
