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CULTURAL DIPLOMACY

“Ukraine. Crucifixion. Tribunal.”

“Ukraine. Crucifixion. Tribunal.”

On March 31, 2023, one year after the city of Bucha, in Kyiv region, was liberated from the Russian invaders, the international exhibition “Ukraine. Crucifixion. Tribunal.” was opened, at 866 UN Plaza, NYC, near the UN headquarters. It is a special international exhibition on the Russian-Ukrainian war, created in the context of work on resolution on establishment of the International Tribunal for the supreme political leadership of Russian Federation for the crime of aggression.

The exhibition was created and organized by the Bogdan Gubsky Foundation “Ukraine – 21st Century” together with the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War, with the support of the Office of the President of Ukraine.

The Opening Ceremony was attended by more than 50 UN ambassadors, politicians, representatives of the Ukrainian diaspora, businessmen, experts, journalists, as well as Ukrainian military personnel undergoing rehabilitation in the USA.

In his video address on the occasion of the opening of the exhibition, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said:

“Russia must be responsible for every burned Ukrainian town and village, for every destroyed life, for every Ukrainian family destroyed by Russian missiles, bombs and mines. We must punish evil.”

Andrii Yermak, Head of the President’s Office, emphasized that Ukraine considers the establishment of the International Special Tribunal for the leadership of Russia extremely important.

“The UN General Assembly should adopt a resolution calling to punish Russia for the crime of the aggression,”

he emphasized.

H.E. Mr. Sergiy Kyslytsya, Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN, highlighted Russia’s accountability for the crimes committed in Ukraine.

Ukraine’s statement on making the Russian Federation accountable for crimes against humanity committed in Ukraine has been supported by

H.E. Mr. Martin Bille Hermann, Permanent Representative of Denmark to the United Nations.

H.E. Mr. Rytis Paulauskas, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Lithuania to the United Nations.

H.E. Mr. Krzysztof Maria Szczerski , Permanent Representative of the Republic of Poland to the United Nations.

H.E. Mr. Richard M. Mills, Jr., Ambassador, Deputy Permanent Representative, Deputy Permanent Representative in the Security Council of the United States.

“Tyra” (Yuliia Paevska), a medic, volunteer, former POW noted that Ukrainians are driven by a desire for justice, as the inhumane crimes of the Russian imperial leadership must be identified, named and condemned by a fair international court.

Bogdan Gubsky emphasized the need for the UN to investigate and punish Russian crimes against the civilian population, children and prisoners of war, against international humanitarian law and against the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Director of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War, curator of the Exhibition Yurii Savchuk has pointed that the Exhibit premiered on the American Continent, and the Museum is to continue sharing with the world the crimes committed by the Russian Federation in Ukraine.

Yourii Savchuk delivered a curator-guided tour to the visitors:

The exhibition is formed of the artifacts collected by the researchers of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War (Kyiv, Ukraine) within a year in the field expeditions to the newly de-occupied settlements. In the early days of April, these were the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions, in September and October – the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions, in November – the Kherson region. In addition, the photo, audio and video fixations of the unique testimonies were carried out.

In the area of 20,000 square feet, over 1,000 museum exhibits are located. The artifacts are compositionally combined into the structure blocks and reveal the extremely important topics: the onslaught of the aggressive horde, the first fights for Kyiv, the war crimes, the murders of children, the intended genocide, the sexual violence, the enemy propaganda, the destruction of the cultural and spiritual heritage, the open looting etc.

Invaluable support to the organization of the exhibit came from:

  • Office of the President of Ukraine
  • Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations
  • Consulate General of Ukraine in New York
  • Venue: 866 UNPLAZA, New York
  • Hotels:
    • The Gallivant Times Square
    • Martinique New York on Broadway
  • Logistical partner: KUNSTTRANS
  • Veselka Restaurant, New York

Special acknowledgments to:

  • Eric Anton
  • Jack Devine
  • Andrew Frank
  • Andrii Kholodov
  • Nelson Lee
  • Alena Molozanov
  • David Valger

Exhibits

Symbol of the aggression. A red star composed of russian occupiers’ boots. Installation by the artist Anton Logov.
Car doors from the Russian military vehicles. The most popular markings – Z, V, O.
Exhibition space of “Ukraine. Crucifixion. Tribunal”.
Chasm between the Kremlin propaganda and the real actions. Burnt down desks and chairs from the destroyed Lyceum No.1 in Izyum (Kharkiv region). New school bags with rashist symbols from the School No.27 in Kherson.
Construction fragment from the destroyed Ivankiv District Museum of Local History and Lore (Kyiv region).
Mutilated window frames from a residential house, destroyed by a Russian bomb.
Rashism means Z, V, O. Russians mark everything with these letters.
Part of the exhibition – “Image of the Occupier”.
Military equipment, samples of ammunition and everyday items of the occupiers’ army.
Documents and insignias of the russian army.
Map of the russian sabotage and reconnaissance group that had to operate on the left bank of Kyiv, and assist in the seizure of the city by the russian invaders.
Personal diary of the russian officer, in which he described the tortures of civilians, conducted personally. Drawings of russian children in support of the aggression against Ukraine.
“Foodcourt” of russian military rations.
Propaganda banner – indisputable evidence of the actions, undertaken by the russian ideological machine.
Propaganda banner next to the destroyed school desks. Pseudo-narratives and unlimited hostility to everything Ukrainian.
Crimes against the territorial integrity of Ukraine. Propaganda banner, box for pseudo-referendum on annexation of Kherson by russia amidst the russian soldiers’ helmets.
On the morning of February 24, 2022, the mass russian helicopter attack on the Hostomel airport (Kyiv region) took place. The road sign with the name of the town of Hostomel is pierced by the fragments of deadly metal. Aviation helmet of the russian pilot Airat Safargaleyev from the shot down russian Ka-52 helicopter. PN-58 series 3 rescue parachute of the russian aerospace forces (Kharkiv region). Fragment of the pilot cockpit from the russian Mi-24 helicopter, shot down at the village of Kozarovychi (Kyiv region).
Row of russian uniforms. Symbol of the blatant and brutal russian attack on Ukraine.
Complex of russian troops’ headgear. Symbol of the blatant and brutal russian attack on Ukraine.
Installation “Metal”. Results of the russian shell fragments hitting the fence of the civilian residence.
Mutilated religious items. Icon “The Descent from the Cross” from the town of Makariv and the dome cross from the village of Zavorychi (Kyiv region).
The “russian world” destroys Ukrainian educational institutions. Interactive school board used by the occupiers as a toilet, with the traces of feces, from the village of Bohdanivka (Kyiv region).



Evidence of a genocide. Door from the school basement in the village of Yahidne (Chernihiv region). Within almost a month, russians detained over 360 people without electricity, food and medicines there. To the left is the list of the residents shot dead, to the right – the list of those who perished of ill-treatment.
Evidence of looting. Fur coat, washing machine, tablets, laptops, phones discovered in the destroyed russian vehicles.

Excursions

Visit of the professors and students from Ukraine and the USA, the participants of the National Model United Nations (NMUN) conference
Visit of the diplomatic delegations headed by the Permanent Representative of Japan to the UN H.E. Ishikane Kimihiro and the Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the UN H.E. Yoka Brandt
Visit of the delegation of the university and college professors from North America, Europe and Asia, the participants of the National Model United Nations (NMUN) conference under the leadership of the NMUN Executive Director Michael Eaton
Meeting of the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN H.E. Sergiy Kyslytsya with the Law Faculty students from the University of Ottawa (Canada)
Meeting of the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN H.E. Sergiy Kyslytsya with the students from the College of Wooster (Ohio, USA)
Visit of the delegation of the university and college professors from North and South America and Europe, the participants of the National Model United Nations (NMUN) conference under the leadership of the NMUN Executive Director Michael Eaton
Meeting of the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN H.E. Sergiy Kyslytsya with the journalists from Japan
Visit of the representatives of the partner states’ missions to the UN: H.E. Ana Paula Zacarias (the Permanent Representative of Portugal to the UN), Gustavo Gravelho (First Secretary of the Permanent Mission of Portugal to the UN), Anne Dostert (Deputy Permanent Representative of Luxembourg to the UN), Sangjin Kim (Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the UN), Jason Park (Political Advisor of the U.S. Mission to the UN)
Visit of the representatives of the partner states’ missions to the UN: Ivars Liepnieks (Deputy Permanent Representative of Latvia to the UN, Counsellor of the Permanent Mission of Latvia to the UN), Melinda Vittay (Third Secretary and Legal Advisor of the Permanent Mission of Hungary to the UN)

MORE ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

Photos by: Andrzej Markiewicz, Beatrice Moritz

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