The Ukrainian Community of Queensland Inc. (UCQ) is proud to work collaboratively and respectfully with many multicultural and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities across Australia.
We have long-standing and positive relationships with Polish, German, Latvian, Lithuanian, Croatian, Serbian, Taiwanese, Vietnamese, Iranian, numerous African communities and other CALD communities built on mutual respect for each other’s language,culture and history. UCQ is always open to participating in genuine multicultural events that celebrate this diversity on equal terms, where all cultures are represented authentically and respectfully.
However, we will not participate in or endorse any event or organisation that seeks to diminish, distort, or politicise Ukrainian culture, or that blurs Ukraine’s distinct identity under umbrella labels such as “Slavic”, “Eurasian”, or “multicultural” when used to mask other agendas.
In recent months, UCQ has observed a concerning resurgence of events and organisations using these broad banners, many of which claim neutrality and cultural unity yet are organised or influenced by individuals or groups aligned with Russian narratives or nostalgia for the Soviet Union. These so-called “Slavic” events often present themselves as inclusive celebrations of shared heritage, but in practice, they repackage the outdated idea of a common “Slavic world” — a concept long used by Russian imperialists to justify domination over neighbouring nations and to erode the sovereignty and individuality of peoples such as Ukrainians, Belarusians, Poles and others.
Recent “Slavic” events by a Russian cultural “illumination” society have, in social media posts by organisation directors, invoked Soviet nostalgia. Ironically, an upcoming “Slavic Festival” includes as many non-Slavic participants as Slavic participants, as the organiser’s definition of “Slavic” appears to have shifted to member nations of the former Soviet Union, rather than the anthropological one. Such redefinitions are not examples of cultural inclusivity, but of historical revisionism.
UCQ will therefore not participate in, promote, or lend legitimacy to any event that:
- Blurs or distorts the distinction between Ukrainian and Russian culture;
- Frames Ukrainian culture, language or heritage as part of a generic “Slavic” identity, given that each Slavic cultural group has been diverging and evolving for at least 1,500 years;
- Promotes themes of neo-Soviet revivalism or Russian imperialism, particularly where the composition of so-called “Slavic” events reflects the inclusion of non-Slavic former Soviet republics — highlighting their underlying neo-Soviet character — or where organisers have expressed such views in person or in writing; or
- Is organised or promoted by individuals or groups who minimise, distort or deny Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, or seek to create division or disharmony within the Ukrainian community.
UCQ remains committed to proudly celebrating and sharing Ukrainian culture, in partnership with Australian and multicultural organisations who value the diversity and individuality of nations.
We encourage all members of the Ukrainian community, and those who stand in solidarity with Ukraine, to remain vigilant against cultural manipulation or appropriation disguised as inclusivity.