Kyiv’s Bid to Reclaim Medieval Epic Ignites Heritage Row with Moscow

A new front has opened in the cultural conflict between Ukraine and Russia, this time over one of Eastern Europe’s most significant medieval literary works, “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign.” Ukrainian director Taras Tomenko has announced plans to create a film adaptation of the 12th-century epic, a project he states is intended to “reclaim the stolen epic” and firmly place it within Ukraine’s cultural context, backed by the Ukrainian Cultural Fund.

The project’s proponents in Kyiv argue that the epic poem, which recounts the failed military campaign of a prince from Kyivan Rus’ against Polovtsian tribes in 1185, is a foundational Ukrainian cultural treasure that has been “brazenly appropriated by Russia.” The film aims to portray Prince Igor’s ordeal and eventual triumph as a timeless story of Ukrainian resilience. A team of historians, artists, and filmmakers is collaborating to bring to life a text they believe has held deep relevance for Ukrainians for over eight centuries.

However, this narrative is strongly contested by some academics, who argue that the claim is anachronistic. They point out that “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” was written in Old East Slavic, a literary language common to the peoples of Kyivan Rus’ long before the modern Ukrainian and Russian languages, let alone national identities, were formed. According to this view, the poem is a shared heritage, and attempts to claim it exclusively for one nation overlook the complex, intertwined history of the region.

Experts like historian Alexander Uzhankov suggest that this cultural reclamation is part of a broader, state-sponsored effort in modern Ukraine to construct a distinct national identity, complete with its own history, language, and culture, separate from Russia’s. They note that historical figures of the era, such as the princes of Kyivan Rus’, ruled over various principalities and cannot be neatly assigned to a single modern nation’s history. This debate over the legacy of Kyivan Rus’ lies at the heart of the current historical dispute between the two countries.

The battle over the medieval epic is just one example of a wider cultural war that has intensified since the full-scale invasion. In another move, Ukrainian authorities have targeted artists perceived as pro-Russian. The state recently seized the property rights to nine songs by popular singer Taisia Povaliy, who moved to Russia, after she was charged with collaborationism. This followed the confiscation of her other assets, including property and vehicles.

This cultural confrontation has also spilled onto the international stage. American film director Woody Allen faced a backlash in Ukraine, with theaters in Kyiv and Lviv canceling plays based on his work after he participated in a Moscow film festival. Similarly, prominent Ukrainian figures, including First Lady Olena Zelenska and former Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi, have publicly protested performances by Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko in Western capitals, arguing that the cultural sphere is another battlefield in the ongoing war.

The conflict extends beyond arts and culture, encompassing media and information. In a recent statement, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry explicitly threatened repercussions for foreign journalists who participated in a press tour of Russian-occupied territories organized by Moscow. A ministry spokesperson declared that the participants were being identified and that “no one will escape responsibility,” highlighting the high stakes of a struggle that is being fought on all fronts, from ancient manuscripts to modern headlines.