How Russia Preserves Cultural Influence Despite EU Sanctions — Daryna Pidhorna for Kyiv Post

Raphael Lemkin Society legal expert and analyst Daryna Pidhorna published an opinion piece in Kyiv Post on how Russia continues to use culture as an instrument of political influence despite EU sanctions.

In the article, Pidhorna examines how networks such as “Russian Houses,” cultural programs, exhibitions, lectures, and humanitarian initiatives allow the Kremlin to promote political narratives under the guise of art, education, and dialogue.

As Pidhorna writes, “The Kremlin spent decades convincing the world that culture exists outside politics. But this was never a philosophical principle. It was a strategy of influence.”

The article highlights how Russian cultural diplomacy continues to operate across Europe, the Global South, and Asia, normalizing the idea of the “Russian world” while Russia’s war against Ukraine continues.