The War Childhood Museum opened its first international office in Kyiv in June 2020. Its staff was initially focused on documenting the experiences of children and youth affected by the war in eastern Ukraine and the temporary occupation of Crimea that began in 2014.
Despite the full-scale invasion that began on February 24, 2022, the museum’s staff has continued their research and documentation activities. The WCM team, led by Svitlana Osipchuk, Project Director, remains dedicated to gathering testimonies from all regions of Ukraine and from Ukrainian refugees.
The first major exhibition was held in Kyiv in 2021. It attracted over 1,100 visitors and received extensive coverage from both Ukrainian and international media. Renowned war journalist Anthony Loyd, writing for The Times, commented that “this international expansion puts the WCM at the forefront of projects examining the impact of war on children.“
In January 2022, a temporary exhibition was set up in Kherson, with plans to visit a total of six Ukrainian regions by the end of the year. However, these plans were disrupted by the outbreak of full-scale invasion.
The WCM offices in Sarajevo and Kyiv jointly produced the exhibition “LISTEN” which has since visited six European cities. It was shown in the Council of Europe in Strasbourg and the International Council of Museums conference in Prague. The exhibition aims to highlight the personal stories of Ukrainian children and youth affected by the ongoing war.
The latest major exhibition “Out of Shadow” was held this summer in Kyiv at the Taras Shevchenko Museum.
In addition to providing a platform for children and youth affected by war to share their stories, the museum also offers a variety of educational activities both online and offline.