In June 2023 Ukrainian Dialogues took part in Folkemødet on Bornholm as part of the European Commission’s tent at Allinge. The tent was designed as “Den europæiske byggeplads” – the European construction site – a space to discuss how Europe must rebuild and reinforce its common “house” in a time of war and geopolitical upheaval.
Ukraine ran like a red thread through much of the programme. One of the central debates was “Verdens største byggeplads – Genopbygningen af Ukraine” (“The world’s largest construction site – rebuilding Ukraine”), which framed recovery as a long-term European task that will reshape infrastructure, energy systems, and democratic institutions.
Together with partners from Ukraine and Denmark, Ukrainian Dialogues helped bring the life experience and civil society perspectives into a series of Ukraine-focused sessions that showed the country both as a candidate state under attack and as Europe’s largest reconstruction site.
Ukrainian Dialogues curated and supported several unique experiences, including “A Tale of Two Ukraines – VR experience.” Visitors stepped into 360° panoramas from the project 360war.in.ua, seeing liberated towns and cities scarred by Russian occupation and shelling, documented by panoramic photographer Dmytro Malyshev and his team.
Together with Ukraїner, guests explored 360° videos from across Ukraine – from Cossack martial arts to contemporary crafts – and listened to Crimean Tatars and other Crimeans revisiting their homeland through virtual reality. Another VR segment, created with the Kyiv Digital tourist and cultural hub, showed how Kyiv is digitising its museums and historic sites to protect them from air strikes while helping residents navigate bombardment, shelters, and essential services during the war.
We also talked about diversity, gender equality, and LGBTQ+ rights: “Embracing Diversity: Ukraine’s Non-colonial Model of Multiculturalism” and “From the Frontlines to Forefront – The Changing Face of Womanhood and LGBTQ+ Rights in Ukraine” talks highlighted how women and LGBTQ+ people are defending Ukraine and driving democratic change even under full-scale invasion.
For Ukrainian Dialogues, Folkemødet 2023 was an opportunity to place Ukrainian stories, images, and voices at the heart of a major Danish democracy festival, connecting high-level debates on Europe’s future with the concrete reality of destroyed homes, cultural resilience, and the immense work of rebuilding Ukraine.