UCC or Ukrainian Cultural Community with 18 amazing artists have turned into Berliners in only 6 months. How? By building bridges between Ukrainian and German culture. Many of them had fled the war. Traumatized they arrived here. Germany opened the doors to a very unique space to live – a former brothel in Ku’Damm. Here, in the city of solidarity, their art turned Berliners into Ukrainians – and vice versa.

UCC contributions to Berlin’s cultural scene

18 amazing Ukrainian artists were able to show Germany what they got: their true fears. Emotions. Traumas. And most importantly: their inspiring art. They have had 6 crazy months, all made possible thanks to many helping hands. The actual living situation was handled by SCOPE Berlin – contemporary art platform providing spaces, led by Maya Miteva. Further support was offered from Happy Immo Club, WeiberWirtschaft eG, Transiträume e.V., WITTE Projektmanagement GmbH and us - AusserGewöhnlich Berlin.
With the help of many supporters, an incredible wave of Ukrainian culture washed over Berlin - almost 40 events in 24 weeks.
- 17 art exhibitions
- 6 concerts
- 15 special events
The one that brought them all together was obviously, the opening event in the former brothel apartment. The artists could make themselves at home, literally. They took over the place and made it into a unique ukranized art hub.

Besides the events, UCC collaborated with several major institutions throughout Berlin, including the Ku'Damm itself, Zionskirche, SLP Gallery, and AusserGewöhnlich Berlin.

The connections they made in Berlin could last a lifetime and help these young, talented people break through into the tough German art scene.

One of the most outstanding exhibitions was „Testament of Bucha“ One of the standout exhibitions was "Testament of Bucha" in Ku'Damm, where the cultural heritage of Ukraine was explored through the lens of contemporary art. When fire was opened, the car could not escape the city, and all the women (including Hanna) in it were killed. UCC then presented and sold the art of the deceased 14-year-old Hanna.

Another notable exhibition was "You Know That You Are Human @ Points of Resistance V" at Zionskirche, curated by Constanze Kleiner and Momentum Berlin. Through the eyes of UCC and other artists, the joint exhibition called for peace and condemned Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

In addition to these exhibitions, the UCC organized the exhibition "Ukrainization" at the SLP Gallery in Bikini Berlin and an exhibition at the gallery space of AusserGewöhnlich Berlin. Through these exhibitions and collaborations, the UCC has been able to establish contacts with 114 institutions, associations, galleries, and collectors, providing the UCC and its individual artists with the opportunity to grow and succeed in the art scene.

UCC planting Ukrainian seeds in Berlin

Ukrainians have immersed themselves in the pool of Berliner culture. With the events that have already taken place and those we can expect in the future, they have dedicated themselves to finding their place in a completely unfamiliar environment. Individually or collectively, UCC has truly planted the seeds in Berlin’s art scene.
One of the highlights of their journey was the inclusion of Antony Reznik in the LUMAS Gallery “Emerging Artists” portfolio. Actually, De Montfort University students in collaboration with AusserGewöhnlich Berlin and 17ACADEMY created podcast series SHARE THE MIC with some of the UCC artists. If you want to hear how Antony Reznik, Anastasia Pasechnik, Sofia Golubeva and Sofia Sudakova escaped from Ukraine, you can check out our 17ACADEMY A Journey to Peace Podcast on Spotify.

UCC, individually or together, have built many cultural bridges between Ukrainian and German cultures. But to be honest, it is impossible to put all their work in this one article. All the colorful events, concerts, performances, exhibitions have shown Berlin the true colors of Ukrainians.

The Ukrainian Culture Community Berlin (UCC) was founded with the goal of providing a support system for Ukrainian artists and creatives living in the city.

As a result of their networking and their ability to seize many opportunities, the residents of the UCC are now going their own ways. With more than half of them already having their own apartments and studios, and several on their way to successful art careers. Therefore, they have collectively decided to end the UCC project at the end of December.
Berlin's creative scene has provided an open space for Ukrainian artists to come together, share ideas, resources, and collaborate on projects together.

UCC says: “We would like to thank everyone involved - creatives and supporters - for their commitment, flexibility and extraordinary dedication to the Ukrainian Culture Community Berlin!”

As the UCC members move on to new opportunities, we wish them all the best and look forward to seeing their continued success in the world of art and culture.