The new War Childhood Museum exhibition will open in Kyiv on Wednesday, May 29th. The “Out of Shadow” exhibition – which is the first major WCM exhibiting activity in Ukraine after the full-scale invasion – stands as a significant testimony to the experiences of children amidst the ongoing war in Ukraine.
For the past months, the WCM team in Ukraine has been working on preparing the exhibition, which will be hosted at the Taras Shevchenko National Museum. It will present the plurality of war experiences that shape modern Ukrainian society.
“With this exhibition, we strive to find a common, inclusive narrative of the war that respects the experiences of different groups in society. A space where everyone can speak out, knowing that their experiences will be accepted. Our task now is to place the children’s vision in the broader picture of this war and to give them a public platform. To show children not only as victims of the war, but to acknowledge their active participation in the most difficult times”, says Svitlana Osipchuk, Director of the War Childhood Museum in Ukraine.
New WCM Exhibition in Kyiv
The WCM work in Ukraine 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. The first major exhibition was held in Kyiv in 2021. At the beginning of 2022, it was shown in Kherson. However, due to the Russian full-scale invasion, planned exhibitions in the South and West of Ukraine had to be canceled.
With the new major exhibition, the Museum will present an expanded collection, featuring stories of children from all over Ukraine and those who were forced to live abroad. Visitors will have the opportunity to get familiar with 29 carefully selected objects and stories related to them.
“This exhibition marks a new milestone for the museum in Ukraine. The distinctive aspect of the new exhibition is the diversity of the stories presented. In this exhibition we have tried to create a space for children from different parts of Ukraine – east and west, north and south. The whole country is affected by the war, and people from different regions have different experiences. We also did our best to have a gender balance.” Svitlana Osipchuk stresses out.
Setting up the “Out of Shadow” exhibition / May 29th
Currently, the WCM archive in Ukraine includes over 400 interviews and more than 600 objects.
“Our Ukrainian collection is undoubtedly one of the most comprehensive records of this war that is happening now in Europe from a children’s perspective. We will continue to exhibit this collection and utilize it in various ways to create a positive impact for our contributors, the wider public in Ukraine, and our international audiences, including the educational networks we collaborate with. We remain dedicated to ensuring the safety of the children and youth we work with, and we will continue to tell the stories of those affected by war with integrity,” emphasizes Jasminko Halilović, Founder and Director-General of the WCM.
First Days of War
I painted this picture a week after we arrived in Poland. The artist Waldek gathered together a group of people who wanted to express their emotions through painting. I decided to paint the background black, because for me that color is associated with the unknown—with what we cannot see and what will happen next. This is a heavy color. The nails and screws represent the dreadful forces above us that could kill us at any moment. This is my impression of the first days of the war—the feeling that there is no ground under our feet and that nothing can protect us.
Valeria, b. 2004, Kharkiv
Permanent Museum in Kyiv
“While the Russian aggression rages, the social processes in Ukraine continue. In addition to defending our borders, we should work towards a better, more inclusive and democratic society in the future. To this end, it is crucial to collect children’s testimonies now, not at the end of the war, so that their experiences find their place and are well represented in the overall narrative of the war, together with other vulnerable groups of society, such as veterans, displaced persons and others. Such full representation is a prerequisite for an inclusive society where people with different experiences are welcomed and accepted. ” says Osipchuk.
Director of the War Childhood Museum in Ukraine adds that sharing stories has two important effects. First, it helps to heal the wounds and traumas of the past in order to be better able to face the challenges of the present. “This helps not only children and other vulnerable groups, but society as a whole. Second, it facilitates democratic development by promoting a more inclusive narrative of what we are living through. In this case, it would be impossible for any privileged group to appropriate the memory of the war that is still going on. ” she adds.
Collecting, archiving and exhibiting testimonies and objects from children affected by the ongoing war is the core activity of the museum. The new major exhibition is being hosted by the Taras Shevchenko National Museum. However, the WCM in Ukraine is working on securing a permanent space in Kyiv, which remains a key objective for the near future.
“The WCM remains committed to our work in Ukraine where we have maintained an office since 2020. This commitment has remained unwavering throughout the pandemic and the full-scale invasion. Our team in Kyiv continues to work diligently under challenging conditions, with support from our colleagues in other WCM offices. Thanks to our partners—forumZFD, the Peace of Mind Foundation, and Porticus—we are progressing toward the opening of a permanent museum in Kyiv. We are also actively seeking additional partners to collaborate on this important project”, says Halilović, Founder and Director-General of the WCM.
The exhibition, located at the Taras Shevchenko National Museum, 12 Taras Shevchenko Boulevard, Kyiv, will be open to visitors from May 30 to July 28, 2024. Admission is free.
