Krytyka, a journal of reviews, essays, and criticism, was created in 1997 to provide an interdisciplinary, intellectual forum for discussing central issues of the day -- cultural, social, and political. In addressing these issues, the journal also hoped to speed and strengthen the formation of an open, pluralistic, and liberal civil society in Ukraine.

In this regard, Krytyka has been particularly committed to addressing the issues of individual and press freedom and the rule of law. While largely focusing on Ukrainian issues, Krytyka, from the beginning, was also committed to viewing them in the broader European and global context. To that end, it has consistently invited and translated authors from various other countries: from the US and Canada, Russia, and both western and central eastern Europe.

In Ukraine, during the nearly ten years of Krytyka's existence, it has succeeded in attracting a broad range of leading specialists, critics, and intellectuals from the older and the younger generations and in establishing a lively spirit of dialogue, revisionism, and debate. Krytyka is proud of the fact that in this relatively short time it has become a major player in the cultural life of Ukraine and has established a standard of excellence that is recognized both in the country and abroad. It hopes to build on this by expanding its English-language coverage, both in its online and subsequently also in its printed versions.