Films That Wrote Ukrainian History: From the Truth About the Holodomor to the Minehunter 'Cherkasy'

Ahead of Ukraine's Independence Day, the entertainment project Styler from RBC-Ukraine presented a selection of films and series dedicated to key pages of the country's history and the people who shaped it. The review covers films about who first brought the truth about the 1932–1933 Holodomor to the world, about the 286 days of captivity of Ukrainian sailors after the incident in the Kerch Strait, about the tragedy of the 'Executed Renaissance,' about returning to sport after a severe injury, and about the only ship in Crimea that did not lower the state flag. The XAB.info editorial team relies on Styler's materials and presents their content in the context of the current date — 23 August 2026, on the eve of the state holiday.

Garrett Jones and the First to Tell the World About the Holodomor

One of the films in the selection takes the viewer back to the 1930s: the renowned British journalist Garrett Jones travels to Moscow to interview Joseph Stalin in person, and there learns that the Soviet authorities are hiding the terrible truth about what is happening in Ukraine. Risking his own life, he heads to Ukraine and sees with his own eyes the consequences of the man-made famine — entire villages where people are dying of starvation. It was Jones who went down in history as one of the first journalists to tell the world the truth about the 1932–1933 Holodomor. The lead role in the film was played by British actor James Norton; the picture was produced jointly by Ukraine, the United Kingdom and Poland, directed by Agnieszka Holland, with a screenplay by American journalist of Ukrainian descent Andrea Halupa.

'24': 286 Days of Captivity After the Kerch Strait Incident

The second story in the selection is the military action film '24,' whose premiere, according to Styler's materials, will take place on the ICTV2 channel on Independence Day at 20:00. The action begins in autumn 2018: Ukrainian sailors set out from Odesa to Berdiansk in three vessels, and while passing through the Kerch Strait the ships are fired upon by Russian military forces; 24 Ukrainian sailors are captured and sent to the Lefortovo pre-trial detention center in Moscow. The series depicts the 286 days of their captivity — a period when, according to the authors, the enemy tried to break the Ukrainian servicemen, intimidate them and coerce them into cooperation. These events went down in history as the 'Kerch Strait Incident.'

The House in the Shape of the Letter 'S' and the Tragedy of the 'Executed Renaissance'

The third film is dedicated to 1930, when in the center of Kharkiv the Soviet authorities erected an elite building for young and promising Ukrainian artists, designed in the shape of the letter 'S'. Its residents became well-known writers, poets, directors and actors, but within just a few years their lives changed dramatically: some were arrested, others were forced to take their own lives, some disappeared without a trace or perished at the hands of the Soviet system. Later, this destroyed generation of Ukrainian intellectuals came to be known as the 'Executed Renaissance.' Among the main characters of the film are Mykhailo Hvorey, Ostap Vyshnya, Mykhailo Yohansen, Volodymyr Sosyura, Pavlo Tychyna, Natalya Uzhvyi, Les Kurbas and other artists of that generation.

A Biopic About Oksana Boturchuk: Return to the Running Track

Another film in the selection is a biopic about Ukrainian Paralympian Oksana Boturchuk, who from a young age dreamed of great sporting victories and trained tirelessly, striving to compete at the Olympics. Her life is changed by a terrible car accident, after which Oksana nearly loses her sight. The athlete faces severe trials and a battle with depression, but she finds the strength to return to sport and step back onto the running track; Boturchuk subsequently becomes a Paralympic Games medalist. The lead role in the film was played by Ukrainian actress Natalya Babenko.

'Cherkasy': The Only Ship That Did Not Lower the Flag

Bringing the selection to a close is a film based on real events of spring 2014 in Crimea. At the heart of the story are two friend-sailors, Misha and Lev, who find themselves aboard the minehunter 'Cherkasy.' While most Ukrainian naval vessels surrender to the enemy, the crew of the 'Cherkasy' decides to resist: Russian occupiers block the minehunter in the Donuzlav bay. According to Styler, the crew of the 'Cherkasy' became the only one among all Ukrainian ships in Crimea to remain loyal to Ukraine to the end and not lower the state flag. The collection of films selected for Independence Day is, by the authors' design, intended to help the viewer better learn important pages of history and the people who shaped it.