Perception of Ukraine in France
Dates
July-December 2020
Country
France
Conducted by
Research company InMind
Lead researchers
Ihor Husiev
About this project
The perception of Ukraine in France is part of a comprehensive project to study the perception of Ukraine and Ukrainian culture abroad in a number of countries identified as priority and important in the Ukrainian Institute’s Strategy for 2020-2024.
For the first time, the project explores the attitudes and expectations of foreign audiences regarding Ukraine, its culture and opportunities for cooperation, their awareness of modern culture and cultural heritage of Ukraine.
The research was carried out by the method of in-depth expert interviews with representatives of foreign institutions in the field of culture, education, science, civil society, as well as local and central authorities, the diplomatic corps, international organizations, the Ukrainian professional environment abroad and foreign Ukrainians.
The results of the research made it possible to determine the most popular formats of cultural diplomacy projects at the bilateral level and develop work plans for the Ukrainian Institute.
Результати
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Ukraine’s perception in France
- The perception of Ukraine in general in France is influenced by French-Russian relations and the general attitude of the French to Eastern Europe as a homogeneous region where Russia leads Ukrainians as other Eastern Slavs.
- Demand for a modern Ukrainian cultural product, according to experts, is high because the French love the new and the unusual, as well as have an interest in Eastern Europe. The key expectations include originality, uniqueness, lack of academicism, and a high level of performance.
- The experience of cooperation with the Ukrainian counterparts seems rather occasional and sporadic. Quite a stable background of cooperation is observed in the Ukrainian professional community and the diaspora, which hold local events regularly: small concerts, exhibitions, film screenings.
- The most positive case of cooperation is the work with the Anne of Kyiv Centre – this cooperation takes place regularly, and the Center’s activities are aimed at the general public, which raises awareness of both the historical figure and Ukraine in general.
- While topics related to history and particularly of the Soviet past interest the French public because of the close contacts between France and Russia, this context needs rethinking and reframing in searching and identifying the place of Ukraine and its culture.