Art education as a culture ambassador of Ukraine’s formation space

In the context of Russia’s current war against Ukraine, the need for the European world to disseminate systematic knowledge about the culture and art of Ukraine, which for a long time has been considered by Europeans exclusively in the context of the culture of the aggressor country, is becoming more urgent. Thus, it is crucial to distinguish Ukrainian culture/mentality and restore and strengthen Ukraine’s positive image on the world stage, in particular, by promoting the identity of Ukrainian culture. The purpose of the research is to identify and substantiate the priorities of personal and professional development of a socially responsible subject of cultural and artistic diplomacy in Ukraine, based on the value of national art education, which can reveal/form humanity in a person. The study used the methods of analysis, synthesis, deduction, comparison, and abstraction. The scientific value of the research results lies in an updated understanding of the professional formation of the subject of cultural diplomacy – a cultural ambassador who meets the needs of the modern world community for a new vision and new motivation for the system of training artistic and creative personnel. First of all, a trinity of such basic directions as developing a case of new knowledge that will determine the creative potential of art education in the processes of democratisation of Ukrainian society; justifying the feasibility of creating strategies of dialogue through respect for the Other; refuting the arguments introduced by authoritarian systems that tend to produce hybrid war hysteria. The study reveals the importance of training artists as cultural ambassadors to establish the true significance of Ukraine’s culture at the international level and identifies ways to improve the image of the state through the implementation of effective art education. The conclusions of the study will be useful for scholars in an in-depth study of the concept of “cultural diplomacy”, as well as for politicians and cultural critics in choosing approaches to restoring a positive emotional colouring of the image of Ukraine in the world public consciousness through Ukrainian culture and art.