On 5 April, in Kaniv Community Centre, Cherkasy oblast, NGO “Eastern Ukrainian Center for Civic Initiative” presented the travelling exhibition “On the Rift”. The exhibition has been travelling around Ukraine since June 2019, and Kaniv became the 50th city it visited.
“On the Rift” consists of 18 stands, each of which is dedicated to one of the problems – the “rifts” – that have occurred in Ukrainian society since 2014 as a result of the war. The exhibition presents these social problems through infographics as well as personal stories of witnesses and victims. It not only offers information about the social transformations experienced by Ukrainians, but also provides an opportunity to reflect on the restoration of justice and the reintegration of the occupied territories.
The presentation was followed by a discussion. One of the participants raised the issue of how we should behave after the reoccupation of the occupied territories with the people who, for whatever reason, were unable to leave.
A resident of Kaniv, who moved to the city in 2014 from Luhansk, told that according to his experience of telephone conversations those who had lived in the occupation for 10 years could not be mentally returned.
Nadiia Nesterenko, a EUCCI representative, mentioned that it is important not to reject or filter out those who are currently waiting for Ukraine to return to the occupied territories.
“We need to understand that there are people who stayed there for various reasons. Of course, there is a certain percentage who supported the occupation, but it is actually much smaller than we usually think. There were people who stayed to look after their bedridden relatives. Some people could not integrate in the government-controlled territory and returned. There are those who, being under occupation, are fighting to restore territorial integrity and passing intelligence to the Ukrainian special services,” she added.
Yulia Dvornichenko, a former civilian prisoner of war and representative of SEMA Ukraine, who joined the presentation, gave an example of her children:
“My children were under the “DPR’s custody” for 2 years while I was in captivity. It strongly influenced them, especially the younger one. When I was released, and I called him, I heard him say, ‘Mum, our (Russian - ed.) planes are flying here, and I salute them’. I couldn’t explain to him anything by phone. Two months later, we managed to get them out of there, and when they arrived in Kyiv, there was a massive Russian attack. And he immediately understood everything himself.”
She continued that it is important to create spaces for peer communication to integrate young people and children returning from the occupied territories:
“I have a request to the communities and young people to pay attention to children and young IDPs. To avoid bullying, to support such children. If you have opportunities, create various platforms for communication where they can meet new friends, because most of their social circle remained in the occupied territories.”
The exhibition “On the Rift” in Kaniv was presented with the support of the NGO “Razom” and the City Community Centre.
The presentation of the exhibition “On the Rift” is part of the project “Strengthening Civil Society to Transform the Culture of Remembrance: Nonviolent Efforts to Counter Russia’s War Against Ukraine”, implemented by the NGOs Kurve Wustrow (Germany) and the “Eastern Ukrainian Centre for Civic Initiative” (Ukraine) together with partners and with the support of the Federal Government of Germany.
