That’s the title of the recent article in Jyllands-Posten where Nataliya Popovych, chairperson of Ukraine House in Denmark together with Camilla Mordhorst, CEO of Dansk Kulturinstitut / Danish Cultural Institute discussed why culture is a crucial cornerstone of a democratic, free society.
"In Danish politics, culture has often been associated with something cozy, the colourful feature, something nice-to-have, which must take second place to other and more important social issues. This look at culture would lead to heads shaking in Ukraine, where culture is a matter of national security.
The soldiers feel the presence of culture on the battlefield on a daily basis. It lives in their hearts. Why else would they be willing to sacrifice their loves to defend their identity as free Ukrainians? Or, as the Ukrainian winners of Eurovision put it when explaining their many appearances: "Without culture, there is no country."
Culture is therefore not on the periphery of war. Culture is the centre of war. The bloody, beating heart of war.
