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Poroshenko wants to use culture as weapon

Kiev authorities have turned to poetry in a bid to uplift Ukrainians’ morale

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (right) wearing Ukraine's national dress meets Ukrainians living in Australia (archive) Mikhail Palinchak/TASS

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (right) wearing Ukraine's national dress meets Ukrainians living in Australia (archive)

© Mikhail Palinchak/TASS

KIEV, March 9. /TASS/. Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko said on Monday culture should be used as a weapon to rebuff attempts to "erode national identity."

"To be successful in rebuffing the aggressor, we should work out a new cultural policy. Culture will become a weapon," Ukrainian media quoted his as saying at celebrations of the 201st birth anniversary of Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko.

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Poroshenko, at the same time, said that "Ukraine needs peace as air."

It looks like the Kiev authorities have turned to Shevchenko’s poetry in a bid to uplift Ukrainians’ morale.

A 18-hour radio marathon entitled "Shevchenko Mobilizes" started at 06:00 a.m. local time on Monday. The president, the prime minister, the parliament speaker, people of arts and participants in the force operation in eastern Ukraine are reciting Shevchenko’s verses.

"This marathon is seen as tool to uplift the morale of the Ukrainians, including by means of Shevchenko’s poetry," Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture Vyacheslav Kirileno said earlier.

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