From Gold in the Scythian Steppe to Scandinavian Influence in Kyiv: Ukraine‘s Relationship with Europe in the Past Thirty Years, Portrayed in International Exhibitions

Abstract

Ukraine’s international exhibitions are a medium for the self-image and external image of the state that emerged after 1991. While the first exhibitions still cultivated an image inherited from the Soviet era, after 2000, Ukraine’s newly formulated foreign cultural policy began to increasingly support international exhibitions in order to present Ukraine as an independent historical and cultural entity, counteract Russia’s interpretative dominance, and integrate Ukraine into the European cultural sphere. They were also intended to promote cooperation between Ukrainian and European museums and scholars. The legal dispute over the “Crimea exhibition” in Amsterdam further transformed cultural diplomacy into a debate about European values. Ukraine successfully positioned itself as a victim of colonial art looting and joined Western Europe’s current efforts to return artifacts captured through colonialism. This strengthened Ukraine’s image as part of a liberal Europe that defends the rule of law and cultural justice against Russian imperialism.