From April 1 to 30, the Ukrainian Institute, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, and the NGO “Wikimedia Ukraine” will hold the annual international information campaign, “Month of Ukraine’s Cultural Diplomacy on Wikipedia.” The initiative aims to spread knowledge about Ukrainian culture abroad through the creation and improvement of Wikipedia articles in various languages around the world.
This year, the campaign will take place for the sixth time and will focus on contemporary culture to make modern artistic voices and practices more visible to international audiences.
“‘Month of Ukraine’s Cultural Diplomacy on Wikipedia’ is an extremely effective and important initiative that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been implementing in cooperation with the Ukrainian Institute and the NGO ‘Wikimedia Ukraine’ since 2021. Over the past five years, nearly 700 participants from around the world have improved and created over 8,500 articles about Ukraine, and we continue this important work. This project is about restoring Ukraine’s presence in relation to events, phenomena, and figures, about a comprehensive return to our objective history, culture, and roots—all that which has for years been erased, destroyed, assimilated, or obliterated. In the context of Russia’s genocidal war against Ukraine, this joint work has particularly important strategic significance. I invite everyone to join this year’s Month of Cultural Diplomacy in April 2026 to affirm the truth and restore justice. I especially appeal to Ukrainian communities abroad to actively contribute to the national sections of Wikipedia in the countries where they reside,” said Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andriy Sybiga.
Wikipedia is one of the most visited resources in the world, where basic perceptions of countries and their cultures are formed. Ukrainian culture has long been underrepresented in the global encyclopedia, and part of its heritage was presented through Russian narratives or appropriated into Russian culture. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine drew global attention to Ukrainian cultural heritage while creating demand for reliable information available in multiple languages. By creating new articles and supplementing existing ones, campaign participants not only strengthen the presence of Ukrainian culture in global information sources but also contribute to affirming its agency.
“‘Month of Ukraine’s Cultural Diplomacy on Wikipedia’ is a project designed to make knowledge about Ukraine accessible in different languages around the world. Over five years, articles about Ukrainian culture on Wikipedia have been created and translated into 109 languages. Each year, in addition to Wikipedia volunteers, foreign universities and students join the initiative. For this reason, we are collaborating for the first time with the Global Coalition for Ukrainian Studies, which already includes over 70 universities worldwide,” said Volodymyr Sheiko, Director General of the Ukrainian Institute.
The campaign welcomes both newcomers and experienced Wikipedia editors, as well as cultural institutions, universities, researchers, NGOs, and anyone interested in Ukrainian culture. The initiative encourages authors worldwide to create and supplement articles in their own languages. The project includes a competitive component: the most active participants will receive prizes from the organizers.
“What we began as a simple article contest about Ukrainian culture has, over five years, grown into our largest annual global campaign for audiences around the world. It has become a bridge to free knowledge and raising awareness about Ukraine. We are pleased to see international interest growing and are making every effort to ensure it does not fade,” commented Illia Korniiko, Chair of the Board of Wikimedia Ukraine.
We invite everyone interested to join the project!
Detailed information about the campaign, the list of proposed articles, and participation conditions are available on the project page: Ukraine’s Cultural Diplomacy Month 2026.
