Cultural policy as a philosophy of societal resilience: Ukraine’s experience in wartime

Abstract

The article examines cultural policy as a philosophical category of societal resilience in the context of the full-scale war in Ukraine. The relevance of the study is determined by the need to reconsider the role of cultural policy in contemporary Ukraine, where culture has moved beyond its traditional humanitarian functions and has become increasingly integrated into the system of national security, social cohesion, and sustainable development. Under wartime conditions, particular importance is attached to the preservation of cultural heritage, the strengthening of national identity, the development of memory policy, and resistance to informational and symbolic threats.

The purpose of the study is to provide a philosophical interpretation of the transformation of Ukraine’s cultural policy under martial law and to determine its role as one of the key factors of societal resilience. To achieve this objective, contemporary theoretical approaches to cultural policy are analyzed, the specific features of its transformation during wartime are examined, and the relationship between cultural memory, national identity, cultural heritage protection, and the sustainable development of Ukrainian society is explored.

The methodological framework of the research is based on philosophical, systemic, historical-comparative, and interdisciplinary approaches. The study employs methods of analysis, synthesis, generalization, comparison, and interpretation of scholarly literature, Ukrainian legal and policy documents, materials of international organizations, and contemporary research on cultural policy, cultural memory, and societal resilience.

The findings demonstrate that the full-scale war has become a catalyst for a profound transformation of Ukraine’s cultural policy. It is argued that contemporary cultural policy performs not only the function of supporting cultural development but also contributes to strengthening national identity, consolidating society, developing cultural diplomacy, shaping memory policy, and protecting cultural heritage. The study substantiates that culture has become an essential resource for enhancing the state’s capacity to adapt to crisis conditions and one of the fundamental mechanisms for ensuring societal resilience.

Particular attention is paid to the Ukrainian experience of adapting cultural policy during wartime. The study shows that the effectiveness of the current model is ensured through cooperation among state institutions, local authorities, civil society organizations, professional cultural communities, and international partners. Such cooperation contributes to the development of a comprehensive system for safeguarding the cultural space and strengthening Ukraine’s international subjectivity.

The scientific novelty of the research lies in substantiating cultural policy as a philosophical category of societal resilience that integrates humanitarian, social, political, and security dimensions of state development. The article proposes a conceptual approach to understanding cultural policy as an integrative mechanism for ensuring the resilience of society during wartime and post-war transformations.

The study concludes that contemporary cultural policy in Ukraine has become one of the strategic factors in strengthening statehood, preserving historical memory, national identity, and cultural heritage. The Ukrainian experience demonstrates the possibility of developing a new model of cultural policy in which culture functions not only as a sphere of humanitarian activity but also as an essential resource for national security, democratic development, and long-term societal resilience.