The Socio-Cultural Adaptation of Ukrainian Refugees in the EU: The Role of Cultural Events

Abstract

The migration crisis caused by Russia’s war against Ukraine has become the largest for Europe since World War II. Long-term uncertainty and a distinct “ female face” are the defining features of this phenomenon, putting on the agenda the development of new strategies for migration management. While the legal and socio-economic factors of migration management have been the subject of sustained academic scrutiny, its cultural component often remains insufficiently studied and assessed. Combining methods of theoretical and empirical research, the paper investigates the impact that involving Ukrainian refugees in cultural activities has on their mental health, language acquisition, and changes in self-identity. The theoretical aspect of the project includes analysis of the source base and research literature on the impact of cultural interventions on work with forced migrants, while the empirical aspect is represented by a quantitative survey of 524 respondents from 27 EU countries and a qualitative study in the form of 56 semi-structured interviews, recorded in 2022–2023. As the paper examines the influence of participation in cultural and creative events in host countries on the adaptation of displaced Ukrainians, a significant decrease is found in their attendance of such events, and the main barriers to this form of engagement are identified. Analysis of the empirical data shows that cultural practices of various kinds produce the strongest positive effects for Ukrainian refugees in such closely related areas as: overcoming stress, managing the sense of uncertainty, and preventing the development of displacement- and war-related trauma (including PTSD). Such practices also contribute to language learning, the formation of social capital, and preservation and strengthening of national and European self-identity. Recognizing the role of culture as a regulatory mechanism in the process of refugee adaptation and integration will help in due course to elaborate algorithms for targeted cultural intervention in the system of migration management.