The Embassy of Ukraine expresses its concern regarding the upcoming event “VIMA Circle Talk with Zelfira Tregulova”, scheduled to take place on Sunday, March 29 in Nicosia. The discussion, titled “The Collector Who Saw the Future: George Kostakis and the 20th-Century Avant-Garde,” presents key figures of the avant-garde—such as Kazymyr Malevych, Wassily Kandinsky, Alexander Rodchenko, Lyubov Popova, and Olga Rozanova—within the framework of so-called “Russian avant-garde” and in association with the legacy of the Tretyakov Gallery.

Such framing is not neutral. It reflects a long-standing tradition within Russian institutional art history that systematically absorbs and reclassifies the cultural achievements of other nations, including Ukraine, under a Russian national narrative. This practice constitutes a form of cultural colonialism that distorts historical truth and undermines the distinct identities of the peoples whose artistic contributions are being appropriated.

This issue is particularly visible in the case of Kazymyr Malevych. For decades, he was widely presented as a Russian artist. Today, this attribution is being actively reconsidered by leading international institutions, many of which now recognize Malevych as a Ukrainian or Ukrainian-born artist. This shift reflects a broader global movement aimed at decolonizing Eastern European art history and restoring rightful cultural attribution. As part of efforts to promote historical accuracy, in November 2025 the Embassy of Ukraine in Nicosia organized the premiere of the feature film “Malevych,” directed by Daria Onishchenko, which challenges the Soviet and Russian narrative that Kazymyr Malevych was a “Russian artist.”

In this context, the Embassy of Ukraine emphasizes that presenting Ukrainian artist Kazymyr Malevych as exclusively Russian contributes to the erasure of Ukrainian cultural heritage at a time when Ukraine is defending not only its territorial integrity, but also its cultural identity.

The Embassy of Ukraine calls for a more balanced, critically informed, and historically accurate approach to cultural programming. Respect for cultural diversity and truth in historical representation are essential principles, especially at a time when they are being actively challenged.