The Raphael Lemkin Society Will Join a Discussion on Cultural Genocide at Bouquet Kyiv Stage
Vitaliy Tytych, Chairman of the Board of the Raphael Lemkin Society, will take part in an open discussion titled “Being Ourselves: Cultural Genocide and the Struggle for Ukrainian Identity in Material, Semantic, and Digital Dimensions.”
The event is part of Bouquet Kyiv Stage and will take place on Sunday, August 16, at 1:30 PM at St. Sophia’s Cathedral in Kyiv, under the Ash Tree.
Russia’s war against Ukraine is destroying not only territory, but also Ukrainian identity and cultural heritage: it destroys museums and churches, steals collections, persecutes cultural figures, and imposes Russification on education in occupied territories.
This destruction has a digital dimension as well: artificial intelligence, archives, and online maps increasingly shape how historical memory is preserved — and who determines which version of the past future generations will see.
Participants will discuss cultural genocide as a component of Russian aggression and its legal dimension — specifically, how to prove genocidal intent. Tytych will focus on the legislative changes Ukraine needs to counter such crimes.
As a reminder, draft law No. 15331 is currently pending before the Verkhovna Rada. The bill proposes enshrining the cultural component of the crime of genocide in Ukrainian criminal law. The Raphael Lemkin Society contributed to its drafting.
The discussion will be moderated by Rena Marutyan, Director of the Institute of National Resilience and Security, Doctor of Sciences in Public Administration, and Professor at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.
Invited speakers include:
- Nataliia Kryvda — Chair of the Supervisory Board of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation, Doctor of Philosophy, Professor at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, and cultural studies scholar.
- Alim Aliev — human rights advocate, journalist, and Deputy Director General of the Ukrainian Institute.
- Yevheniia Bespalova — AI and digital technologies expert with Molfar Intelligence, an OSINT community.
- Ivan Verbytskyi — First Deputy Minister of Culture of Ukraine.
- Vitalii Tytch — Chairman of the Board of the Rafael Lemkin Society, legal scholar, attorney, and officer in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
- A representative of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine specializing in digital heritage or cultural heritage preservation.
Join us at Bouquet Kyiv Stage for an open conversation about protecting Ukraine’s and Ukrainians’ right to be themselves, across material, semantic, legal, and digital dimensions.