Artist Residencies in Ukraine

How the residency scene in Ukraine actually works

Artist residencies in Ukraine sit at a very specific intersection: contemporary art, research, and social reality. You’re not stepping into a neutral retreat space; you’re stepping into a context that’s dealing with war, post-industrial change, and active debates around identity and memory.

Compared with big residency hubs in Western Europe, Ukraine’s scene is:

• Smaller but very active – fewer programs, but they tend to be conceptually focused.
• Institution-led – run by art centers, NGOs, museums, and networks rather than big state residency infrastructures.
• Research-heavy – residencies often expect a clear conceptual, social, or historical angle, not just studio time.
• Politically and socially engaged – themes like migration, displacement, memory politics, post-industrial sites, and community work come up constantly.
• Internationally networked – many programs connect Ukrainian artists to residencies abroad, or host international artists via partnerships.

Since the full-scale invasion, many residencies have shifted, paused, or transformed into hybrid shelters and creative spaces. Some have moved online or abroad; others operate with backup power, flexible timelines, and a strong focus on solidarity and care.

Where residencies cluster: cities and regions

You’ll see residency activity concentrated in a few cultural centers, plus some targeted regional initiatives.

Kyiv: institutional and research gravity

Kyiv is still the biggest magnet for curators, institutions, and cross-sector projects. Residencies and residency-like programs here tend to lean toward:

• Contemporary art and installation
• Curatorial and research practice
• Performance, new media, and interdisciplinary work
• Collaboration with NGOs and civil-society groups

A key reference point is the IZOLYATSIA Residency Programme (IZOLYATSIA). This program explicitly invites:

• Socially and politically engaged art
• Activism and urbanism projects
• Public art and community-based art with participatory elements
• Work around post-industrial regeneration, migration, displacement, contested histories, and geopolitical issues

If your practice is rooted in social engagement, critical research, or post-industrial contexts, Kyiv-based or Kyiv-linked initiatives like IZOLYATSIA are strong anchors.

Lviv: heritage, narrative, and cross-border energy

Lviv operates as a western gateway: close to Poland, with strong ties to Central Europe and a deep architectural and historical backdrop. Residency work here often intersects with:

• Heritage, archives, and historical research
• Small-town and regional narratives
• Interdisciplinary projects blending art, writing, journalism, and research
• Hybrid formats that mix online and in-person work

A core example is the REHERIT residency on the lives and narratives of small towns in Ukraine (you can search "REHERIT residency small towns" for the latest format). It has worked in stages: in-person periods in Lviv, online work, and returns to Lviv, welcoming artists, journalists, writers, curators, and researchers.

Odesa, Kharkiv, and industrial cities

Other cities play specific roles, though security conditions vary and can shift quickly.

• Odesa – historically a port city with a strong identity, relevant to artists working with Black Sea narratives, maritime history, performance, and transnational themes.
• Kharkiv – long a hub for conceptual art, photography, graphic design, and intellectual life. Wartime conditions have made on-site residencies more complex, but the city’s artistic influence remains strong.
• Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, and the industrial east/south – often connected to themes of post-industrial transformation, war memory, urban change, and civic engagement.

Many newer programs, or program components, are set up in small towns and rural or post-industrial sites. They’re excellent if your work depends on field research, local histories, or decentralization away from capital-city narratives.

Key programs: in Ukraine and around it

Residencies connected to Ukraine fall roughly into three groups: programs physically in Ukraine, international programs run by Ukrainian institutions, and solidarity residencies hosted abroad for Ukrainian artists.

IZOLYATSIA Residency Programme (Ukraine-based network)

Good fit if you:

• Work with social or political themes
• Engage communities through participatory methods
• Are interested in post-industrial sites, migration, or contested histories

The residency provides a supportive environment for art practice and fosters exchange between artists and art professionals inside and outside Ukraine. Projects often go beyond a studio model and connect directly to city spaces, communities, or institutional partners. If your practice involves activism, public art, or long-term research on urban or geopolitical issues, this is a high-priority program to investigate.

REHERIT: small-town and heritage-focused residencies

REHERIT (searchable via “REHERIT residency small towns in Ukraine”) creates a framework for researching and re-narrating small towns, with Lviv as a base. It brings together:

• Artists
• Writers and journalists
• Curators and researchers

Formats have included a mix of in-person sessions in Lviv, remote work, and returns to the city. The program is especially relevant if you deal with:

• Oral history and interviews
• Documentary and documentary-adjacent practices
• Heritage, local identities, and memory politics
• Long-form narrative or essayistic work

EXTER—International Art Residency Programme (Ukrainian Institute)

The EXTER Programme by the Ukrainian Institute (EXTER) sends Ukrainian artists, curators, critics, and scholars to residencies abroad through partnerships with institutions such as Rupert in Vilnius, Kunsthalle Praha, and others.

What it typically offers:

• Fully funded or strongly supported placements
• Hosts that are interested in the current Ukrainian art scene
• Professional programs: studio visits, talks, and research support

Who it’s for: Ukrainian artists and art workers who want to represent current Ukrainian art internationally, develop international networks, and work in research-forward environments.

Art Against All Odds & Zapravka (residencies overview and support)

For a landscape view, TransArtists hosts an overview called Art Against All Odds: Ukrainian Artist Residencies (TransArtists article). It describes how many Ukrainian residencies have adapted, gone hybrid, or closed since the full-scale invasion.

The article also points to Zapravka, an initiative by the Ukrainian Institute, Ukrainian Cultural Fund, and House of Europe that:

• Maps Ukrainian residencies in an online tool
• Strengthens international visibility of Ukrainian programs
• Supports people interested in starting residencies in Ukraine (through a toolkit and grants)

Use these resources for:

• Finding currently active residencies inside Ukraine
• Understanding how safety, shelter, and creative space intersect in different regions
• Tracking initiatives that have shifted abroad or online

Solidarity residencies abroad for Ukrainian and Ukraine-based artists

Many artists connected to Ukraine will actually encounter “Ukrainian residencies” outside the country, built as solidarity or emergency programs. A few examples from your research:

• HIAP – Ukraine Solidarity Residencies Programme in Finland (HIAP): offers 3–6 month residencies, sometimes extendable up to 12 months. Accommodation, travel, and a working grant are covered. Hosts include places like Art Centre Salmela and Shaulis Art House, with options for artists with families.
• Ukraine Solidarity Residencies – Kone Foundation (Kone Foundation): a collaborative program by Finnish arts organizations providing accommodation, residency time, and support for Ukrainian and Ukraine-based artists.
• LOORE network residencies for Ukrainian artists in Estonia (LOORE open call example, LOORE Ukraine program): multiple Estonian creative residencies providing free accommodation, studio access, travel allowance, and stipends to Ukrainian artists and art professionals.
• Martin Roth-Initiative: Ukrainian women artists (Martin Roth Initiative): a hybrid, six-month residency combining online workshops, discussions, and expert meetings to support Ukrainian women artists.

If you are Ukrainian or currently based in Ukraine, these programs can be safer and more stable than on-site residencies inside the country, and they often come with clear financial support.

Disciplines and practice types that are well supported

Residencies connected to Ukraine tend to be friendly to conceptually driven practices across different mediums. You’ll often see open calls and descriptions that welcome:

• Visual art (installation, photography, painting, sculpture)
• Performance and live art
• Sound art and experimental music
• Curatorial and research practices
• Writing, journalism, and critical theory
• Community art and participatory projects
• Urbanism, architecture-related research, mapping, and spatial interventions
• New media, video, and digital practices

Example patterns:

• IZOLYATSIA gives priority to artists and art practitioners who approach migration, displacement, and post-industrial contexts with rigorous research and engagement.
• REHERIT mixes disciplines and expects strong interest in heritage, archives, and narrative-making.
• EXTER and international exchanges often highlight performance and sound art alongside more traditional visual practices.

If your work is purely studio-based and detached from context, you can still find a fit, but you may need to articulate how your practice connects to local realities, even indirectly.

Practicalities: cost, language, and visas

Cost of living and funding structures

In broad terms, Ukraine has a lower cost of living than most EU countries, but war creates fluctuations and practical complications.

• Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa – higher local prices compared to smaller cities, but still generally below Western European capital levels.
• Smaller cities and towns – cheaper daily expenses, but potential added costs for travel and materials, plus more limited supply chains.

Many Ukrainian residencies are project-based and supported by international partners. You’ll see mixtures of:

• Accommodation and sometimes studio fully covered
• Small stipends or production budgets
• Travel covered through specific grants or partners

Some residencies expect you to bring your own funding or co-funding. For Ukrainian artists, that funding might come from EU programs, international funds, or special solidarity schemes.

Language in everyday residency life

Language can shift by region and institution, but you can assume:

• Ukrainian – primary working language in most contexts.
• Russian – still understood and used in some settings, but socially and politically sensitive; usage has been declining in many cultural contexts.
• English – common among curators and in internationally oriented institutions, but not universal.

For international artists coming into Ukraine-based programs:

• Many residency teams can function in English, especially in Kyiv, Lviv, and internationally networked institutions.
• Learning basic Ukrainian phrases is both practical and respectful.
• In small-town or community-based projects, rely on translators or bilingual collaborators where possible.

Visas and entry: what usually happens

Visa and entry rules depend heavily on your passport and current regulations.

• Some nationalities have visa-free access for short stays; others require a standard visa.
• Residencies usually provide an official invitation letter to support your visa application if needed.
• For long-term stays, check how many days you’re allowed, and what your host can officially support.

Because of war, you should also check:

• Transport options in and out of Ukraine (trains, land borders, and any flight alternatives)
• Insurance coverage and exclusions
• Current safety advisories from your country

For Ukrainian artists going abroad, programs like EXTER, HIAP’s Ukraine Solidarity Residencies, LOORE’s Ukraine residencies, and Kone Foundation initiatives handle much of the logistical and visa-related groundwork. Still, always confirm what documentation they provide and what you must supply yourself.

How war and social context shape your residency

Working in or around Ukraine means factoring in a shifting context that directly affects how residencies operate.

Safety and infrastructure

Residencies inside Ukraine may include:

• Air raid alerts and shelter protocols
• Power cuts and internet disruptions
• Curfews or transport limitations
• Emotional and psychological strain on everyone involved

This doesn’t make creative work impossible, but it means you need flexibility: schedules can change, events might move online, and outcomes may be adapted.

Social and political engagement as a default expectation

Many Ukrainian institutions treat art as deeply connected to civic life. You’ll see strong interest in projects that deal with:

• Memory politics and history
• Decolonial perspectives and de-Russification
• Local communities, participatory methods, and shared authorship
• Reconstruction, resilience, and everyday survival

Residencies like IZOLYATSIA or REHERIT are not just offering you a room and a studio. They’re inviting you into an active conversation about how art, heritage, and politics intersect on the ground.

Community relationships and ethics

You’ll get the most out of a residency in Ukraine if you treat community as a long-term relationship, not just content. That means:

• Being transparent about how you use stories, images, and archives
• Avoiding extractive framing of trauma and war experiences
• Prioritizing consent and ongoing dialogue with participants
• Sharing outcomes in accessible formats with local partners whenever possible

Choosing the right residency for your practice

Instead of chasing every opportunity, match your practice to the program’s DNA.

If your work is socially and politically engaged

• Look closely at IZOLYATSIA and similar socially rooted programs.
• Check residencies that mention activism, public art, urbanism, or community projects.
• Ask how they support access to communities, NGOs, and local collaborators.

If you’re research-driven, a writer, or a curator

• Explore REHERIT and Ukrainian Institute programs like EXTER.
• Search for heritage or small-town-focused formats, especially around Lviv.
• Consider solidarity residencies that explicitly welcome curators, critics, and scholars, not just studio artists.

If you’re a Ukrainian artist affected by war or displacement

• Prioritize Ukraine Solidarity Residencies (Kone Foundation), HIAP’s Ukraine Solidarity Residencies, LOORE’s Ukraine-focused residencies, and schemes by Martin Roth-Initiative or UNESCO-linked programs.
• Look for offers that include accommodation, stipends, production budgets, and family-friendly options.
• Ask clearly about psychological support, mentoring, and long-term professional networks, not just a few months of shelter.

Key questions to ask before you commit

When a residency catches your eye, ask the coordinator or read the fine print with these questions in mind:

• Funding and logistics
  • What exactly is covered: accommodation, studio, transport, per diem, production budget?
  • Is the stipend enough to realistically live on in that city or region?
  • Is the residency expecting co-funding, fees, or self-payment?
• Safety and infrastructure
  • Where is the residency located and what is the current security situation?
  • How do they handle air raid alerts, power cuts, and communication during crises?
  • Are there backup power options or alternative workspaces?
• Working conditions
  • What is the expected outcome: exhibition, open studio, publication, workshop, research text?
  • How much community or institutional engagement is expected?
  • What languages are used day-to-day, and is translation support available?
• Legal and administrative
  • What kind of invitation or contract do they provide?
  • Will they support your visa or residence permit paperwork if needed?
  • How do they handle insurance, health coverage, and emergency situations?

Where to keep researching

This guide gives you the structure; your next step is to dig deeper into specific programs and reviews.

• Use TransArtists overviews like Art Residencies in Ukraine: Glance of a Landscape and Art Against All Odds to see which residencies are active, paused, or hybrid.
• Check the Ukraine country pages on Reviewed by Artists for artist-written reviews of research residencies and related programs.
• Explore the Ukrainian Institute’s site for EXTER and other mobility/partnership projects.
• Keep an eye on solidarity initiatives like HIAP’s Ukraine Solidarity Residencies, Kone Foundation’s program, and LOORE’s Ukraine-focused residencies if you’re Ukrainian or based in Ukraine.

If you match your practice to the right context, ask practical questions early, and respect the lived realities behind these programs, residencies in and around Ukraine can offer unusually deep, grounded experiences that stay with your work for a long time.