Ukrainian Lessons by Charlotte Higgins review - when art and war collide
Charlotte Higgins' book 'Ukrainian Lessons' explores how art and culture persist in Ukraine despite the ongoing Russian invasion. The review highlights the author's observations of daily life and the symbolic role of art in a war-torn landscape.
Why it matters
It provides a humanistic perspective on the resilience of civilian populations and the role of creative expression during geopolitical conflicts.
Ukrainian artist Diana Berg at an exhibition of her work. Ukrainian artist Diana Berg at an exhibition of her work. Book of the day Art and design books Review Ukrainian Lessons by Charlotte Higgins review – when art and war collide A vivid and hopeful study of how culture endures in the midst of extreme violence
Prefer the Guardian on Google T owards the end of her subtly piercing book about art in wartime, Charlotte Higgins recounts an autumn visit to Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second city, in the north-east of the country, a short drive from the Russian border. In a tranquil park, she sees a man standing in a stream, making stones balance on top of each other in a teetering tower – “a metaphor of life in that city,” she writes, “that would have seemed too obvious for a novel”.
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