On September 29th “round-table” discussion session “Studying the history of World War II and the Holocaust in the Conditions of Current War against Ukraine” took place within the Final of the XI Creative Works Contest. Guests of the exhibition “Dictatorship and” Dr. Detlef Voltaire, Consul General of Germany in Donetsk; Refat Chubarov, the Head of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis; representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science, Ukrainian and foreign scholars, teachers and methodologists as well as mass media representatives took part in the discussion.
Nowadays the profession of the history teacher becomes more relevant than ever and the round-table discussion participants noted that the great responsibility is laid on the history teacher. Why do the events of the World War II have something in common with the current situation in Ukraine, how not to stir the old myths on the history of the World War II and not to create the new ones on the events at the East of Ukraine, what is needed to be changed in the school program and manuals – these and many other issues were discusses by the participants.
The main thing is that everyone could express his or her own opinion and to get answers to the questions from the competent representatives of the scientific and educational community.
On September 29th a collection of clocks of gilded bronze and wood dated by end of the XVIII - beginning of XX century was exposed in a new hall of Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine”. Most of them were made in France, which in the XVIII - XIX c. turned into the center of the world production of luxury goods, including clocks of gilded bronze. The collection is donated to the Museum by Igor Kolomoisky, Governor of Dnipropetrovsk region.
The first visitors of the hall were finalists of the XIth International Contest “Lessons of War and the Holocaust – Lessons of Tolerance”, representatives of the Dnipropetrovsk Jewish Community and mass media. Tour of the hall was conducted by Dr. Oleksandra Leonova, Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine” Head of the Research Department.
On September 29th the official opening of the exhibition “Dictatorship and Democracy in the Age of Extremities: a Focus on European History in the XX century” took place at Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine”. The event was organized by Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine”, “Tkuma” Ukrainian Institute for Holocaust Studies, supported by the German Embassy in Ukraine. 2014 happened to have some key dates: the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War and 75th anniversary of the Second World War, the 25th anniversary of the fall of communist regimes in Eastern Europe and the 10th anniversary of EU enlargement to the East. The exhibition “Dictatorship and Democracy in the Age of Extremities” is dedicated to these anniversaries. It is prepared by the Institute of Contemporary History in Munich and Federal Foundation for the Reappraisal of the SED Dictatorship.
On September 29th a memorial ceremony dedicated to the 73rd anniversary of the executions of Jews in Babi Yar was held at Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine”. Traditional lighting of candles in memory of six millions of Jews killed was carried out near the panorama “Babi Yar – Babi Yars of Ukraine”, which is an important part of the Museum. The ceremony was attended by the community leaders, scholars from Ukraine and from abroad, participants and guests of the Final of the XIth International Contest “Lessons of War and the Holocaust – Lessons of Tolerance”, members of the Jewish community, representatives of media. Symbolically, the memorable event was attended by representatives of the Armenian and Tatar peoples, whose history is also tragic – mass murder, repressions, deportations.
The final of the XIth International Contest of Creative Works “Lessons of War and the Holocaust – Lessons of Tolerance” was held on September 28th – 29th. It was organized by “Tkuma” Ukrainian Institute for Holocaust Studies and Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine” with support of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. Throughout the year, pupils, students and teachers who have decided to participate in the Contest, sent their understanding of “lessons of war and the Holocaust” reflected in research works, development of multimedia, poetry, essays and pictures. This year 353 works were applied for the Contest, including 4 from neighboring countries. However, only 34 of them were recognized to be the best by the supervisory board and selected for the Final. The authors of these works were invited to Dnipropetrovsk, where they submitted their works to the highly competent jury. Dr. Tamara Bakka, Dr. Faina Vynokurova, Prof. Oleksandr Davlyetov, Prof. Tetyana Ladychenko, Dr. Tetyana Meleshchenko, Svitlana Piddubna, Dr. Igor Shchupak were to determine the winners, which was not an easy task to do. The guests invited from abroad also participated in the discussion, among them: Dr. Robert Tatoyan (Yerevan, Armenia), Prof. Malkhaz Tsirikidze (Telavi, Georgia), Dr. Irina Shikhova (Chisinau, Moldova), and others.
In the course of time our perception of history changes. New facts come to light; myths are being ruined or, otherwise, created. “The only duty we owe to the history is to re-write it”, – these words are ascribed to Oscar Wilde. Not all historians agree with this statement. Perhaps, the idea of the writer is to re-write history in accordance with the current reality and facts. Dr. Georgiy Kasianov, Head of Department of Contemporary History at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, commented on this quite concisely: “Re-writing history takes place due to three causes: ideological conjuncture, qualitative changes in historiography and simply change of opinion of the particular researcher. In the first case it may have formal connection with science, preserving different attributes of scientific research, but actually belongs only to the sphere of ideology and politics. The second and the third ones are movers of the historiography as scientific discipline”.
The war in Eastern Ukraine forces not only the residents of Donbas but also the inhabitants of peaceful territories to adjust to new conditions. In this absolutely new situation for the country, which didn’t know any inner or outer armed conflicts for 23 years of independence, the Ukrainians show themselves as active members of society. These are the volunteers in ATO forces, members of volunteer movements, blood donors for the wounded and those who are just doing their work in good faith for the benefit of our country. Citizens of Ukraine felt personal responsibility for the future of the state and thus for their own future.
Since the first days of Maydan “Tkuma” Institute has joined the national Revolution of Dignity, which first of all advocated not the “European way of life”, as pro-soviet and pro-Russian activists like to say, but the universal values. It is those universal values which are the main lesson of the Holocaust and all the history itself. “Tkuma” Institute activity is aimed at the realization of these values from the very beginning of its existence. Right now “Tkuma” Institute in cooperation with Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine” continues to perform its mission by holding educational seminars on history (because the historical myths are often used by the anti-Ukrainian propaganda); pedagogical seminars. “Tkuma” Institute and the Museum members, partners and friends take active part in social projects aimed at helping in-migrants.
From 26th to 31st of August about 100 students from all over Ukraine and neighboring countries came together to spend five unforgettable days at summer camp that is annually organized by the Youth Organization “Hillel». The place of the meeting this year was Mankivka – picturesque village located in Uman district of Kyiv region. Atmosphere of true Ukrainian villages and beautiful landscapes set to active rest and intellectual development. Jewish history ñlasses, meetings with interesting guests, work in creative workshops and fun evening activities were held during the camp.
The camp program was prepared and implemented by friendly madrich team under the guidance of Simferopil “Hillel” Director Diana Liebman. “Make it Jewish” – that’s how the slogan of this year’s program sounded and it accurately reflects the main purpose of the youth camp – strengthening of Jewish students’ identity and the revival of Jewish culture and customs.
Late August is hot time for teachers. Teachers spend the last days of summer in active preparation for the new school year, arranging meetings at various levels, discussing the latest developments in the educational system. Each year representatives of “Tkuma” Institute are invited by the organizers to participate in such regional and city meetings. This year was not an exception.
On August 20th, the August regional meeting of the leaders of city and district associations of history, law and social sciences teachers, was held in the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Institute of Advanced Teacher Training (DRIATT), with the participation of Dr. Oleksandra Leonova, “Tkuma” Institute and Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine” Head of Research Department.
On July14th – August 8th summer school “Jewish History and Multiethnic Past: Discussions and Approaches to Study of Society, Culture and Heritage in Central and Eastern Europe” was held in the Centre for Urban History (Lviv). Eighteen young scholars were selected on a competitive basis to take part in the event, among them – Dr. Oleksandra Leonova, “Tkuma” Institute Research Associate. The school was aimed at drawing attention of the young researchers to multiethnic past of Ukraine. The school focused on the Jewish history and Ukrainian culture and Central-Eastern Europe in general; however it suggested more complex approach, representing different national, social and individual prospects. This particular approach was aimed at giving impulse to historians to implement interdisciplinary approaches and multidimensional aspects of the study of societies, which had multiethnic and multicultural constituent, to encourage introduction of new contexts in researches of the history of Ukraine.
The 9th International Inter-religious Youth Seminar “The Ark” is over. The event was organized on July 19th – 29th and involved 36 participants. Traditionally, representatives of different nationalities (Ukrainians, Poles and Jews) from Ukraine became the participants, but this year Crimean Tatar youth was invited as well.
The main part of the seminar program took place at the Center for Peace and Reunification of the Parish of the Roman Catholic Church of the Visitation of Elisabeth by the Blessed Virgin Mary in Bilshivtsi (Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast)
This year’s seminar program was held under the eloquent slogan “There’s no freedom without solidarity”. The subject was suggested due to the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the first partly-free parliamentary elections in the Polish People’s Republic (which became a watershed not only in the history of Poland but also of a whole number of the countries to which the Yalta agreements were applied, thus causing the decline of the communist regime) and the events, which took place in the Maydan square in Kiev at the turn of 2013/2014. Mass anti-Semitic protests of Ukrainian society which took place in the Maydan square unified Ukrainian citizens of different nationalities in the struggle against the prevailing system of corrupt government.
On 30-31 July research associates of “Tkuma” institute held a number of educational programs on the history of the Holocaust and problems of international relations for the participants of the youth summer camps. In terms of these programs Valentyn Rybalka and Iryna Radchenko held a session devoted to the problems of creating the tolerant society (on the basis of the Second World War and the Holocaust history, as well as using the example of Righteous among Nations), and informed the participants on “Tkuma” Institute and Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine” work.
On July 20th regular session of the Sunday University was held. In the course of lecture Anna Medvedovska, “Tkuma” Institute Head of Research Department, focused on the topic “European Jewry between two World Wars”.
Among the questions raised at the lecture was Jewish population of the West European countries in socio-cultural dimension, social-political background of extension and development of anti-Semitic ideology in interwar Germany.
On July 10th regular pedagogical seminar was held by “Tkuma” Institute together with Dnipropetrovsk Regional Institute of Advanced Teacher Training.
History teachers of Dnipropetrovsk regional secondary schools took part in the seminar. The seminar included lecture-discussion on peculiarities of teaching methodology of the Holocaust history, Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine” tour, and discussion of educational and pedagogical potential of museum lessons, special features of their structure and methods of conduction.
On July 8th “Tkuma” Institute employees visited the grand opening of the new hall at Michael Marmer Museum in Kryvyi Rih. Svitlana Piddubna, “Tkuma” Institute Outreach Programs Coordinator and Director of Michael Marmer Museum, told about the opening ceremony. “2014 happened to have some key dates that have changed the world radically. This year the world commemorates the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War and 75th anniversary of the Second World War and also the 10th anniversary of EU enlargement to the East. In connection with these events on July 8th, 2014 in Kryvyi Rih two important events were conducted: a new hall was opened in Michael Marmer Museum alongside with the exhibition “Dictatorship and Democracy in the Age of Extremities: a Focus on European History in the XX century”, organized by the German Embassy in Ukraine, the Institute of Contemporary History in Munich, broadcast “Deutschlandradio Kultur”, Federal Foundation for the Reappraisal of the SED Dictatorship and Michael Marmer Museum.
On July 8th –10th the 9th International Conference on the Holocaust Study “Through Our Own Lens: Reflecting on the Holocaust from Generation to Generation” took place in Jerusalem. The conference was attended by about 500 teachers and scholars from 50 countries. Among speakers and moderators there was Dr. Igor Shchupak, who held a presentation of “Tkuma” Institute and Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine” activity and gave a panel presentation “Approaches of “Tkuma” Institute to the study of the Holocaust”.
Speech by Dr. Shchupak caused lively discussion and debates. There were also negotiations held with a number of scientists, leaders of USA, Canada, Europe and Israel Research Institutes on international cooperation with “Tkuma” Institute and the Museum.
This year from 19th to 29th July the International Interreligious Youth Seminar “The Ark” will be held for the ninth time. About 35 citizens of different nationalities from Ukraine – Ukrainians, Poles and Jews – will take part in the event. This year Crimean Tatar youth is invited to participate in the event at the behest of the Polish side. “The Ark” seminar is being held from 2006. For five years running it was held at the territory of Univ Holy Dormition Lavra of the Studite Rite, where during the World War II priests and monks of the Greek Catholic Church led by Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky and his brother Archimandrite Klymentiy Sheptytsky were rescuing Jewish children from the fire of the Holocaust, as well as helping Ukrainian and Polish children. The dramatic events which had taken place on this territory are the example of harmony and understanding for our peoples.
On 6 June in terms of the formal visit to Dnipropetrovsk Andrij Sadovyi, public and political figure, the mayor of Lviv, had visited the “Menorah” Center. Shmuel Kaminezki, Chief Rabbi of Dnipropetrovsk city and region, told Mr. Sadovyi about the life of Dnipropetrovsk Jewish Community nowadays. During the museum tour Dr. Igor Shchupak, “Tkuma” Institute for Holocaust Studies and Museum Director, told about the historical past of the Jews in Ukraine and particularly in Dnipropetrovsk as well as how it is reflected in the exposition of Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine”.
On July 1st – 2nd Prof. Wendy Lower (USA) has visited “Tkuma” Institute and Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine”. Prof. Lower is researcher of the Holocaust in the territory of Ukraine, author of a famous monograph “Nazi Empire-Building and Holocaust in Ukraine”, “Tkuma” Scientific Adviser on publications.
As a part of her visit Prof. Lower has met Dr. Igor Shchupak, “Tkuma” Director and research workers of the Institute.
Prof. Lower has also taken a look at the exposition of the Museum. Anna Medvedovska, Head of the Research Department has conducted a private tour for the guest.
On June 25th – 26th in Collegium of MESU (Kyiv) the International Scholarly and Pedagogical Conference “Second World War and the Holocaust in Educational Programs and School History Textbooks” was held. The organizers were “Tkuma” Ukrainian Institute for Holocaust Studies, Ukrainian Catholic University, with assistance of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies (CIUS) and a number of other local and foreign organizations.
Ukraine was the first on post-Soviet area who supported UN General Assembly resolution on the need to include the Holocaust in school curricula, as the one that carries a non-exhaustive training and education potential. Thus it proved that Ukraine had a vision of history, which moved away from Soviet stamps about the “common destiny” of Soviet people.
The current situation in Ukraine requires national reconciliation, including by overcoming the “war of memories”. The major role in this process belongs to history teacher who forms the consciousness of a new generation of Ukrainians.
From 22nd to 26th of June another trip to Germany within the program "Jewish Life in Modern Germany”, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany, was conducted. The extensive program included a variety of tours, meetings with interesting scholars and public figures, many round tables and discussion on international issues (which are first of all related to the Jewish diaspora in Germany). Dr. Oleksandra Leonova, “Tkuma” Institute Research Associate and the project participant, learned how Jews live in modern Germany. She wrote about her impressions of the four-day program.
June 22–24, 2014 Dnipropetrovsk (Ukraine)
will host International Scholarly Conference “Righteous Among the
Nations and Other Rescuers During the Holocaust: Ukraine’s Example in
the Comparative Context”.
During this uneasy period for Ukraine, when
the society is split up by the historical memory, history becomes a
mean of manipulating the consciousness, false interpretations become a
political weapon and create community’s position to events in the
country, it is time to remind the world that Ukraine’s history has
positive examples of good neighborly relations, on which we must learn
unity and tolerance. The theme of Righteous Among the Nations,
understanding of the motives of rescuing people in extreme conditions in
general and during the Holodomor and Armenian genocide and so on in
particular is the best illustration of fraternity and victimhood.
On June 8th Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine” welcomed its colleagues from the Washington Holocaust Museum. Delegation included Sara Bloomfield, Director of the Museum, Vadym Altskan, Head of the International Archival Programs of the Museum and Martha Pereima, Deputy Cultural Attaché of the US Embassy in Ukraine.
The meeting started with the negotiations with Dnipropetrovsk Holocaust Museum Director Dr. Igor Shchupak, who spoke about “Tkuma” Institute and the Museum activities: educational projects, educational programs, museum development and publishing.
The premiere of the film “Cruel Ring” about the tragic fate of the Jewish boxer during the Holocaust book place at “Pravda” cinema hall as “National Unity” campaign, giving the event the social and political significance. Among the guests at the premiere there were representatives of business, cultural and sport elite of the city, legendary and young athletes, first of all boxers, including Ukraine national boxing team and “Ukrainian otamans” team members. Before the film screening the word was given to the representatives of regional authorities, Jewish communities and institutions studying the events of those tragic years.
In the beginning, as it is usual for the premieres, there was a red carpet, salon jazz, buffet table, and a “small-talk”, which is now called “party”. In honor of Jewish protagonist of the film kosher wine was proposed to numerous Jewish guests invited to the premiere.
On May 22nd a solemn Ceremony of Memory was held at the memorial “Remembering for the Sake of Future”, which is located near the city of Novomoskovsk. Here, at the place of the execution of four thousand civilians during the German occupation, a stele with the names of the victims was opened; it was installed in two years by employees of local historical museum and activists of “Poisk-Dnipro”.
The Memorial itself was opened two years ago on the initiative of Deputy of the Regional Council Sergei Reznik by the Fund “Dialogue of Generations” and the organization “Institute Ukrainica” with the support of Dnipropetrovsk and Novomoskovsk Jewish communities.
The memorial ceremony took place under the auspices of the Regional State Administration. It was attended by diplomatic representatives of different countries, veterans, relatives of the victims, many leaders of national communities and representatives of the general public.
On May 21st a press conference was held in the “DniproPost” news agency, where the journalists were told about International Forum of Intellectuals “Ukraine: Thinking Together”. The forum was held in Kyiv on 16th – 19th of May and was probably the most discussed event of the month – forum brought together politicians, historians, writers, journalists and public figures from around the world.
Forum participants, speakers and panelists: Dr. Igor Shchupak, “Tkuma” Ukrainian Institute for Holocaust Studies Director and Karl Schlögel, German historian, journalist, author of articles on Ukraine in Die Welt magazine, have told at the press-conference about how world intellectuals comment on the political situation in Ukraine and what prospects of development of the state and the Dnipropetrovsk region in particular do they see.
On May 16th – 19th the International Forum of the Intellectuals “Ukraine: Thinking Together” was held in Kyiv. The Forum was conducted on the initiative of Leon Wieseltier (“The New Republic” magazine) and Prof. Timothy Snyder (Yale University). “Tkuma” Ukrainian Institute for Holocaust Studies was among the main partners of the project, along with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Embassies of Canada, Germany, France, Poland and United States.
“International intellectuals, for whom the freedom matters, went to Kyiv to learn from inside about the country that had won its freedom at a heavy price,” says the official information spread by the organizers of the Forum. “Their main goal was to rethink some of the critical issues of our time given the recent Ukrainian experience.”
Timothy Snyder explains the interest to the situation in Ukraine: “Now Ukraine has become perhaps the most interesting places in the world where the serious ethical, political and cultural discussion can and should take place.”
The book “Born to suffer?” was presented on May 20th in Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine”. The book was presented by its chief-editor and compiler Cor Roos (Netherlands). The publication consists of 33 stories told by those who survived Holocaust. The review says: “The book “Born to suffer?” tells about a tragic story of the Jewish community which inhabited the territory of Eastern Europe in 1941–1944 – Bessarabia, Bukovyna and Ukraine… It is the precious legacy of memories”. The first presentation of the book took place in October 2011 in Vinnytsia. The event was timed to the 70th anniversary of the beginning of World War II. Exclusively for the presentation in Ukraine a Russian variant of the book was prepared.
On May 18th an International Museum Day – annual celebration, which traces back to 1977, – was celebrated in Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine”.
It was decided to hold a literary and musical café in the Museum. Last year, in 2013, a centenary of the birth of a wonderful poet, our compatriot Mykhailo Svetlov (Scheinkman) took place. Therefore the café was dedicated to him.
The opening of the event was performed by a soloist of Dnipropetrovsk Opera Theatre, cantor of Dnipropetrovsk Jewish Community, Igor Babenko. In his short concert he has united well-known and purely Jewish community songs: “Forgive me, the land of the ancestors” by V. Rogovy and I. Steklov, “On the nameless height” by Basner, from the movie “Silence”, and “Tum-balalaika”, – says the host of the café Ester Takhterina, – “The graduates of the Dnipropetrovsk Academy of Music, brothers Rostyslav and Yaroslav Novisky, continued the concert. Their performance combined both classics of the baroque epoch (Al’binoni and Vivaldi) and the composers’ musical arrangements of the folk songs. Concertmaster Olga Perebeeva is beautiful, technical pianist, who has managed to “bridle” the antique piano with quite a ruinous keyboard”. The curator of the project, member of the museum team, Lyudmyla Sandul had expressed a general hope for continuation of a pleasant acquaintance.
The project “Marathon of Memory”, which is organized by “Tkuma” Institute and timed to the Victory Day, has started. The project is represented in the form of lessons of memory and it is called the Marathon because it takes place in different parts of Ukraine. Such events will be held during the whole May in 12 cities. The first lesson of memory took place on May, 8 at Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine” in Dnipropetrovsk, it was held for the 6th grade pupils of the collegium ¹ 16 (Dniprodzerzhynsk). The lesson began with the Museum excursion conducted by the Museum Research Associate Lyudmyla Sandul. During the excursion the guide paid special attention to the educational value of exhibits. By the end of the excursion, Dr. Oleksandra Leonova, held a discussion with the pupils on what was seen and heard during the Museum tour. The most active participants were given books.
On September 29th “round-table” discussion session “Studying the history of World War II and the Holocaust in the Conditions of Current War against Ukraine” took place within the Final of the XI Creative Works Contest. Guests of the exhibition “Dictatorship and” Dr. Detlef Voltaire, Consul General of Germany in Donetsk; Refat Chubarov, the Head of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis; representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science, Ukrainian and foreign scholars, teachers and methodologists as well as mass media representatives took part in the discussion.
On September 29th a collection of clocks of gilded bronze and wood dated by end of the XVIII - beginning of XX century was exposed in a new hall of Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine”. Most of them were made in France, which in the XVIII - XIX c. turned into the center of the world production of luxury goods, including clocks of gilded bronze. The collection is donated to the Museum by Igor Kolomoisky, Governor of Dnipropetrovsk region.
On September 29th the official opening of the exhibition “Dictatorship and Democracy in the Age of Extremities: a Focus on European History in the XX century” took place at Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine”. The event was organized by Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine”, “Tkuma” Ukrainian Institute for Holocaust Studies, supported by the German Embassy in Ukraine. 2014 happened to have some key dates: the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War and 75th anniversary of the Second World War, the 25th anniversary of the fall of communist regimes in Eastern Europe and the 10th anniversary of EU enlargement to the East. The exhibition “Dictatorship and Democracy in the Age of Extremities” is dedicated to these anniversaries. It is prepared by the Institute of Contemporary History in Munich and Federal Foundation for the Reappraisal of the SED Dictatorship.
On September 29th a memorial ceremony dedicated to the 73rd anniversary of the executions of Jews in Babi Yar was held at Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine”. Traditional lighting of candles in memory of six millions of Jews killed was carried out near the panorama “Babi Yar – Babi Yars of Ukraine”, which is an important part of the Museum. The ceremony was attended by the community leaders, scholars from Ukraine and from abroad, participants and guests of the Final of the XIth International Contest “Lessons of War and the Holocaust – Lessons of Tolerance”, members of the Jewish community, representatives of media. Symbolically, the memorable event was attended by representatives of the Armenian and Tatar peoples, whose history is also tragic – mass murder, repressions, deportations.
The final of the XIth International Contest of Creative Works “Lessons of War and the Holocaust – Lessons of Tolerance” was held on September 28th – 29th. It was organized by “Tkuma” Ukrainian Institute for Holocaust Studies and Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine” with support of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. Throughout the year, pupils, students and teachers who have decided to participate in the Contest, sent their understanding of “lessons of war and the Holocaust” reflected in research works, development of multimedia, poetry, essays and pictures. This year 353 works were applied for the Contest, including 4 from neighboring countries. However, only 34 of them were recognized to be the best by the supervisory board and selected for the Final. The authors of these works were invited to Dnipropetrovsk, where they submitted their works to the highly competent jury. Dr. Tamara Bakka, Dr. Faina Vynokurova, Prof. Oleksandr Davlyetov, Prof. Tetyana Ladychenko, Dr. Tetyana Meleshchenko, Svitlana Piddubna, Dr. Igor Shchupak were to determine the winners, which was not an easy task to do. The guests invited from abroad also participated in the discussion, among them: Dr. Robert Tatoyan (Yerevan, Armenia), Prof. Malkhaz Tsirikidze (Telavi, Georgia), Dr. Irina Shikhova (Chisinau, Moldova), and others.
In the course of time our perception of history changes. New facts come to light; myths are being ruined or, otherwise, created. “The only duty we owe to the history is to re-write it”, – these words are ascribed to Oscar Wilde. Not all historians agree with this statement. Perhaps, the idea of the writer is to re-write history in accordance with the current reality and facts. Dr. Georgiy Kasianov, Head of Department of Contemporary History at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, commented on this quite concisely: “Re-writing history takes place due to three causes: ideological conjuncture, qualitative changes in historiography and simply change of opinion of the particular researcher. In the first case it may have formal connection with science, preserving different attributes of scientific research, but actually belongs only to the sphere of ideology and politics. The second and the third ones are movers of the historiography as scientific discipline”.
The war in Eastern Ukraine forces not only the residents of Donbas but also the inhabitants of peaceful territories to adjust to new conditions. In this absolutely new situation for the country, which didn’t know any inner or outer armed conflicts for 23 years of independence, the Ukrainians show themselves as active members of society. These are the volunteers in ATO forces, members of volunteer movements, blood donors for the wounded and those who are just doing their work in good faith for the benefit of our country. Citizens of Ukraine felt personal responsibility for the future of the state and thus for their own future.
From 26th to 31st of August about 100 students from all over Ukraine and neighboring countries came together to spend five unforgettable days at summer camp that is annually organized by the Youth Organization “Hillel». The place of the meeting this year was Mankivka – picturesque village located in Uman district of Kyiv region. Atmosphere of true Ukrainian villages and beautiful landscapes set to active rest and intellectual development. Jewish history ñlasses, meetings with interesting guests, work in creative workshops and fun evening activities were held during the camp.
Late August is hot time for teachers. Teachers spend the last days of summer in active preparation for the new school year, arranging meetings at various levels, discussing the latest developments in the educational system. Each year representatives of “Tkuma” Institute are invited by the organizers to participate in such regional and city meetings. This year was not an exception.
On July14th – August 8th summer school “Jewish History and Multiethnic Past: Discussions and Approaches to Study of Society, Culture and Heritage in Central and Eastern Europe” was held in the Centre for Urban History (Lviv). Eighteen young scholars were selected on a competitive basis to take part in the event, among them – Dr. Oleksandra Leonova, “Tkuma” Institute Research Associate. The school was aimed at drawing attention of the young researchers to multiethnic past of Ukraine. The school focused on the Jewish history and Ukrainian culture and Central-Eastern Europe in general; however it suggested more complex approach, representing different national, social and individual prospects. This particular approach was aimed at giving impulse to historians to implement interdisciplinary approaches and multidimensional aspects of the study of societies, which had multiethnic and multicultural constituent, to encourage introduction of new contexts in researches of the history of Ukraine.
The 9th International Inter-religious Youth Seminar “The Ark” is over. The event was organized on July 19th – 29th and involved 36 participants. Traditionally, representatives of different nationalities (Ukrainians, Poles and Jews) from Ukraine became the participants, but this year Crimean Tatar youth was invited as well.
On 30-31 July research associates of “Tkuma” institute held a number of educational programs on the history of the Holocaust and problems of international relations for the participants of the youth summer camps. In terms of these programs Valentyn Rybalka and Iryna Radchenko held a session devoted to the problems of creating the tolerant society (on the basis of the Second World War and the Holocaust history, as well as using the example of Righteous among Nations), and informed the participants on “Tkuma” Institute and Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine” work.
On July 20th regular session of the Sunday University was held. In the course of lecture Anna Medvedovska, “Tkuma” Institute Head of Research Department, focused on the topic “European Jewry between two World Wars”.
On July 10th regular pedagogical seminar was held by “Tkuma” Institute together with Dnipropetrovsk Regional Institute of Advanced Teacher Training.
On July 8th “Tkuma” Institute employees visited the grand opening of the new hall at Michael Marmer Museum in Kryvyi Rih. Svitlana Piddubna, “Tkuma” Institute Outreach Programs Coordinator and Director of Michael Marmer Museum, told about the opening ceremony. “2014 happened to have some key dates that have changed the world radically. This year the world commemorates the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War and 75th anniversary of the Second World War and also the 10th anniversary of EU enlargement to the East. In connection with these events on July 8th, 2014 in Kryvyi Rih two important events were conducted: a new hall was opened in Michael Marmer Museum alongside with the exhibition “Dictatorship and Democracy in the Age of Extremities: a Focus on European History in the XX century”, organized by the German Embassy in Ukraine, the Institute of Contemporary History in Munich, broadcast “Deutschlandradio Kultur”, Federal Foundation for the Reappraisal of the SED Dictatorship and Michael Marmer Museum.
On July 8th –10th the 9th International Conference on the Holocaust Study “Through Our Own Lens: Reflecting on the Holocaust from Generation to Generation” took place in Jerusalem. The conference was attended by about 500 teachers and scholars from 50 countries. Among speakers and moderators there was Dr. Igor Shchupak, who held a presentation of “Tkuma” Institute and Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine” activity and gave a panel presentation “Approaches of “Tkuma” Institute to the study of the Holocaust”.
This year from 19th to 29th July the International Interreligious Youth Seminar “The Ark” will be held for the ninth time. About 35 citizens of different nationalities from Ukraine – Ukrainians, Poles and Jews – will take part in the event. This year Crimean Tatar youth is invited to participate in the event at the behest of the Polish side. “The Ark” seminar is being held from 2006. For five years running it was held at the territory of Univ Holy Dormition Lavra of the Studite Rite, where during the World War II priests and monks of the Greek Catholic Church led by Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky and his brother Archimandrite Klymentiy Sheptytsky were rescuing Jewish children from the fire of the Holocaust, as well as helping Ukrainian and Polish children. The dramatic events which had taken place on this territory are the example of harmony and understanding for our peoples.
On 6 June in terms of the formal visit to Dnipropetrovsk Andrij Sadovyi, public and political figure, the mayor of Lviv, had visited the “Menorah” Center. Shmuel Kaminezki, Chief Rabbi of Dnipropetrovsk city and region, told Mr. Sadovyi about the life of Dnipropetrovsk Jewish Community nowadays. During the museum tour Dr. Igor Shchupak, “Tkuma” Institute for Holocaust Studies and Museum Director, told about the historical past of the Jews in Ukraine and particularly in Dnipropetrovsk as well as how it is reflected in the exposition of Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine”.
On July 1st – 2nd Prof. Wendy Lower (USA) has visited “Tkuma” Institute and Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine”. Prof. Lower is researcher of the Holocaust in the territory of Ukraine, author of a famous monograph “Nazi Empire-Building and Holocaust in Ukraine”, “Tkuma” Scientific Adviser on publications.
On June 25th – 26th in Collegium of MESU (Kyiv) the International Scholarly and Pedagogical Conference “Second World War and the Holocaust in Educational Programs and School History Textbooks” was held. The organizers were “Tkuma” Ukrainian Institute for Holocaust Studies, Ukrainian Catholic University, with assistance of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies (CIUS) and a number of other local and foreign organizations.
From 22nd to 26th of June another trip to Germany within the program "Jewish Life in Modern Germany”, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany, was conducted. The extensive program included a variety of tours, meetings with interesting scholars and public figures, many round tables and discussion on international issues (which are first of all related to the Jewish diaspora in Germany). Dr. Oleksandra Leonova, “Tkuma” Institute Research Associate and the project participant, learned how Jews live in modern Germany. She wrote about her impressions of the four-day program.
June 22–24, 2014 Dnipropetrovsk (Ukraine)
will host International Scholarly Conference “Righteous Among the
Nations and Other Rescuers During the Holocaust: Ukraine’s Example in
the Comparative Context”.
On June 8th Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine” welcomed its colleagues from the Washington Holocaust Museum. Delegation included Sara Bloomfield, Director of the Museum, Vadym Altskan, Head of the International Archival Programs of the Museum and Martha Pereima, Deputy Cultural Attaché of the US Embassy in Ukraine.
The premiere of the film “Cruel Ring” about the tragic fate of the Jewish boxer during the Holocaust book place at “Pravda” cinema hall as “National Unity” campaign, giving the event the social and political significance. Among the guests at the premiere there were representatives of business, cultural and sport elite of the city, legendary and young athletes, first of all boxers, including Ukraine national boxing team and “Ukrainian otamans” team members. Before the film screening the word was given to the representatives of regional authorities, Jewish communities and institutions studying the events of those tragic years.
On May 22nd a solemn Ceremony of Memory was held at the memorial “Remembering for the Sake of Future”, which is located near the city of Novomoskovsk. Here, at the place of the execution of four thousand civilians during the German occupation, a stele with the names of the victims was opened; it was installed in two years by employees of local historical museum and activists of “Poisk-Dnipro”.
On May 21st a press conference was held in the “DniproPost” news agency, where the journalists were told about International Forum of Intellectuals “Ukraine: Thinking Together”. The forum was held in Kyiv on 16th – 19th of May and was probably the most discussed event of the month – forum brought together politicians, historians, writers, journalists and public figures from around the world.
On May 16th – 19th the International Forum of the Intellectuals “Ukraine: Thinking Together” was held in Kyiv. The Forum was conducted on the initiative of Leon Wieseltier (“The New Republic” magazine) and Prof. Timothy Snyder (Yale University). “Tkuma” Ukrainian Institute for Holocaust Studies was among the main partners of the project, along with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Embassies of Canada, Germany, France, Poland and United States.
The book “Born to suffer?” was presented on May 20th in Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine”. The book was presented by its chief-editor and compiler Cor Roos (Netherlands). The publication consists of 33 stories told by those who survived Holocaust. The review says: “The book “Born to suffer?” tells about a tragic story of the Jewish community which inhabited the territory of Eastern Europe in 1941–1944 – Bessarabia, Bukovyna and Ukraine… It is the precious legacy of memories”. The first presentation of the book took place in October 2011 in Vinnytsia. The event was timed to the 70th anniversary of the beginning of World War II. Exclusively for the presentation in Ukraine a Russian variant of the book was prepared.
On May 18th an International Museum Day – annual celebration, which traces back to 1977, – was celebrated in Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine”.
The project “Marathon of Memory”, which is organized by “Tkuma” Institute and timed to the Victory Day, has started. The project is represented in the form of lessons of memory and it is called the Marathon because it takes place in different parts of Ukraine. Such events will be held during the whole May in 12 cities. The first lesson of memory took place on May, 8 at Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine” in Dnipropetrovsk, it was held for the 6th grade pupils of the collegium ¹ 16 (Dniprodzerzhynsk). The lesson began with the Museum excursion conducted by the Museum Research Associate Lyudmyla Sandul. During the excursion the guide paid special attention to the educational value of exhibits. By the end of the excursion, Dr. Oleksandra Leonova, held a discussion with the pupils on what was seen and heard during the Museum tour. The most active participants were given books.