Cultural events, arts and festivals in Kyiv region and Ukraine at Razom UA
In 2025, the spotlight moments of celebrities' personal lives once again captured attention: from private weddings to large-scale celebrations marked by lavish spending. We examine not only who is with whom, but what these events reveal about cultural and resource priorities worldwide — in the context of global challenges, particularly for Ukraine.
We continue our series of special reports from Doha. This time we went to where the Middle East’s information policy is shaped — to the Al Jazeera headquarters. It is here, in the simultaneous interpretation booths, that Ukrainian Tarik Sarhan holds the line on the information front.
He came to Ukraine at 19 to become an engineer, but became one of the country's most prominent Islamic scholars. Today Tarik Sarhan lives in Qatar and works for Al Jazeera. As part of our special report from Doha, we spoke about how the battle for the truth about Ukraine is being waged in the Arab world, why the Quran calls on defending the homeland, and how the Ukrainian spirit helps overcome the aggressor's propaganda.
Stereotypes of Islam as a "closed" or "aggressive" religion are being shattered by the reality of Ukrainian resistance. From the Orange Revolution to the trenches around Bakhmut, Ukraine's Muslims show that faith is not an obstacle to success or patriotism — on the contrary, it is a foundation for the struggle for a free future.
Despite staff protests, the Louvre's main masterpieces remain open. This is not just a local labor dispute — incidents in recent months call into question the mechanisms for safeguarding cultural heritage and managing large institutions.
Distant Qatar has become an outpost of Ukrainian identity and cultural diplomacy in the Arab world. The Embassy of Ukraine has been transformed into a genuine "Ukrainian House," bringing together more than 300 active citizens. In wartime, the embassy not only defends the country's interests but also conducts an active information war, conveying the truth about Ukraine to hundreds of millions of Al Jazeera viewers.
A farewell ceremony for Stepan Higa took place on Rynok Square in Lviv, attended by thousands of people. The artist was buried on December 15 at Lychakiv Cemetery, field No. 75 — according to his will. He died on December 12; in November he had undergone emergency surgery.
From December 21, a light project titled "Share the Light" will be launched on the façade of the Central Railway Station. The installation will operate for several winter days on autonomous power; via a QR code, people will be able to connect to it through an app. The author is Mykola Kabluka.
Bandurist, member of the Cultural Forces, soloist of the NAONI orchestra, People's Artist of Ukraine Taras Stolyar spoke about the combination of art and service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He performed for Riccardo Muti in Italy, played with Sting in Malibu, and traveled with a cultural landing party to the front. Art became a weapon in the fight for Ukraine.
BBC News Ukraine has announced the laureates of the 21st BBC Book of the Year 2025. Lena Lyagushonkova's novel won the top prize; Myroslav Layuk prevailed in essays, and Kateryna Shtanko in the children's category. The contest is supported by an EBRD programme; the jury selected winners from 41 publications. Separately, the Financial Times named Steven Witt's book about Nvidia the best business book of 2025.
Colombian singer Shakira shared a review of "Zootopia 2", but autocorrect replaced the title with an inappropriate word that quickly became an internet meme. Separately, it was reported that police are investigating singer Psy on suspicion of obtaining psychotropic drugs through intermediaries.
British writer Sophie Kinsella (real name Madeleine Wickham) died at the age of 55 after a battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer. She sold more than 50 million books and was best known for the Shopaholic series.
Over three weeks in release, the film "You — Cosmos" grossed UAH 37.7 million and drew 208,683 viewers. In its opening weekend the box office totaled UAH 8.7 million, with about 47,000 attendees.
An American actor has been named by Time magazine its Artist of 2025 for career achievements and for his role in Paul Thomas Anderson's film "One Battle After Another," which received the most nominations at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards.
In an interview accompanying his recognition as TIME's Artist of the Year, DiCaprio acknowledged the usefulness of AI for filmmaking but said that true art must come from humans. He also voiced criticism of the popularity of AI-generated music and virtual performers.
Mykhailo Klymenko, co‑founder and vocalist of ADAM, has died after a battle with tuberculous meningitis. The musician had been in a coma for an extended period; daily treatment costs exceeded UAH 25,000. Details of the farewell will be announced later.
The holiday observed today, December 6 according to the New Julian calendar, is dedicated to mercy and gifts. The text describes the origins of Saint Nicholas, regional customs in Ukraine, and traditional prohibitions.
On December 4, the UNESCO Committee supported Ukraine's proposal and added 19 sites to the International List of Cultural Property under Enhanced Protection. The total number of Ukrainian monuments on the list has increased to 46, the minister of culture reported.
The Pantone Color Institute named PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer the Color of the Year for 2026 — a light, neutral white. It is the first white chosen in the program’s 26-year history; other forecasts had pointed to turquoise and earth tones as trends.
In one of Auckland's jewelry stores, a man swallowed a Fabergé pendant valued at 33,000 NZD (approx. 19,000 USD). Police detained the suspect at the scene and are awaiting the natural passage of the piece; a court hearing is scheduled for December 8.
Nine finalists of the national selection for Eurovision 2026 have been announced. The tenth participant will be chosen via online voting in the Diia app from the longlist. The full line-up will be revealed by January 15, and the final will be held in February.
At Christie's in London the "Winter Egg," made for Nicholas II in 1913, fetched £22.9 million (about $30.2 million). The sale set a new world record for Fabergé works; the egg is one of the few imperial eggs in private collections.
On December 1, a bust of Hetman Ivan Mazepa was unveiled at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. The opening was attended by representatives of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance, sculptors, and the management of the reserve.
The Office of the Prosecutor General has transferred to the National Museum of the History of Ukraine the largest collection since independence — more than 7,000 archaeological artifacts, numismatic pieces and weapons valued at millions of dollars; some of the exhibits are already on display.
Renowned playwright and screenwriter Tom Stoppard has died at the age of 88. He won an Oscar for the screenplay of "Shakespeare in Love" and wrote the cult play "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead." Stoppard was born into a Jewish family in Czechoslovakia and fled the Nazis.
The winter of 2025–2026 offers five notable premieres: a sequel to Five Nights at Freddy’s and the new Avatar, as well as the thrillers The Housemaid, Cold Storage, and Scream 7. A brief look at the plot, genres, creative teams and release dates in Ukraine.
At Brentford’s training ground, a themed lunch prepared by Yehor Yarmolyuk was held: players and the coach sampled Ukrainian dishes, and the club presented information about Ukraine’s culture, traditions and symbols.
A petition was registered in Kyiv to rename the Akademmistechko metro station to Vasyl Stus; 1,167 signatures have been collected out of the required 6,000, with 52 days remaining until the end of voting.
In France, near the Sorbonne and one of the oldest legal publishing houses in Europe, there operates the association "For Ukraine, for its freedom and for ours," which unites 150 scholars from 50 leading universities in the country and over 3,000 supporters.
The Ministry of Education has approved an innovative robotics program for students in grades 5-9. The pilot project will begin in 50 schools across the country starting this September.