HERITO, No. 49: Kharkiv

In the Kharkiv-themed issue of Herito, we delve into the history of the city, we ask about its Ukrainian DNA, which was so clearly manifested after the Russian invasion a year ago, we check what makes it unique. We show the tangible and intangible heritage of the city, which we often looked at before through the lens of stereotypes fuelled by foreign propaganda.

Our city guide is Serhiy Zhadan, among others, a well-known writer in Poland, who has become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance; we also follow in the footsteps of Kharkiv architecture, and the most important artists associated with the city, including Vasyl Yermylov and Pavlo Makov. We give voice to local authors who talk about their own Kharkiv.

With this issue, we would like not only to offer a portrait of Ukraine’s second largest city, less known than Kiev, Lviv or Odessa, but also to contribute to the spreading of knowledge about the history and cultural heritage of Ukraine.