The Dust is almost uncomfortable. Not long ago, Russian troops were squeezing the Ukrainian capital. Now, the story of this chapter of aggression has already been told in the museum. Even when the war is intensifying elsewhere in the country, Ukrainians showcase the relics recovered after the Russian troops were forced to withdraw from the occupied territories around the capital. Flocking to the meeting.
Abandoned missiles, food, helmets and other items in the northern region of Kyiv are on display at the World War II Museum, known as the “Great Patriotic War” in Ukraine. The glass case displays personal notes and credit cards of Russian soldiers who were killed at the forefront in an important early record of bloodshed.
Their passport reveals how young they were. The destroyed Siberian license plate proves that some came from afar. There is also a bottle of halal borscht soup supplied to the Islamic Chechen figur, with the participation of leader Ramzan Kadyrov, a ferocious supporter of Vladimir Putin. “We want to respond to Russian propaganda,” said curator Yuri Savchuk, adding that Moscow “has launched its own show on so-called fascism to fight in Ukraine.”
“Here you can see and touch the war with your fingertips,” he added. “That’s also the point. It’s about shocking people to understand what’s going on.” It may seem strange that Ukrainians want to remind them of the war they are still alive. Hmm. However, not all Ukrainians have witnessed the fighting directly, and many want to understand what happened. “It’s really really hard to see this,” said 26-year-old visitor Zoya Didok. “It’s good that I didn’t live in one of those villages when the Russians were there.”
Freezing testimony
In the basement of the museum, a temporary shelter from the town of Hostmel, near the airport in Kieu, has been reconstructed. The original housed dozens of people for 37 days — including children and 6-month-old babies. Two people died in a damp and unsanitary condition. On the wall screen, the baby’s mother gives a chilling video testimony. On the ground floor, the shrapnel-torn church gate opens and you can see the room displaying the conflict-inspired artwork.
Ukrainian artists have also reused material from the Russian invasion to express their pain. The burnt-out candles underneath the war-torn painting of Christ pay homage to the dead and the damaged religious heritage of Ukraine. Grenades hidden under sandbox toys are reminiscent of the loss of millions of young Ukrainians in their childhood.
There is also a broken World War II Memorial from Hostomel, and there are strong similarities between the two conflicts. Today’s invaders are descendants of yesterday’s heroes. The exhibition entitled “Ukraine-Crucifixion” is housed in the Museum of History of Ukraine during World War II. The relics were collected between April 4th and May 5th, and the rapid opening of the show on May 8th was supported by the Ukrainian army and government. — AFP
