On August 23, the exhibition "Bakhmut – Faces of Genocide 1942/2022" opened at the IX Fort Museum in Kaunas. Organized by the National Historical Memorial Reserve "Babyn Yar."
This is the first exhibition presented by the Babyn Yar Historical and Memorial Reserve in the European Union, with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine. During the opening, Acting Minister of Culture and Information Policy Rostyslav Karandieiev expressed gratitude to the Lithuanians for their ongoing support of Ukraine and collaboration.
"Today, the exhibition 'Bakhmut – Faces of Genocide 1942/2022' is hosted by a museum that preserves the memory of the mass murder of Jews by the Nazis during World War II in Kaunas. We remember with sorrow everyone who perished during the Holocaust. The exhibition presented by the National Historical Memorial Reserve "Babyn Yar is not only about our shared pain from over 80 years ago. It is about the current horrors in Donetsk and across Ukraine. Cannibalistic ideologies breed the terrors of war. But we will fight, win, and bring to justice all those who participated in crimes against civilians," emphasized Rostyslav Karandieiev.
The exhibition covers lesser-known events of the Holocaust in 1942 in Bakhmut, where over 3,000 people, mostly Jews, were killed, and the recent destruction of Bakhmut by Russian forces. The exhibition was displayed in Ukraine in August last year and received numerous positive reviews from visitors.
According to Roza Tapanova, Head of the Babyn Yar Historical and Memorial Reserve, Kaunas, with its rich cultural heritage and history, is an ideal platform for engaging a diverse audience and fostering broader discussion on important issues.
"For us, it is important to show the world the parallels between Russia's war crimes in Ukraine today and the genocide committed by the Nazis during World War II. Therefore, I especially appreciate our collaboration with Lithuania, which has allowed us to open the first international exhibition of the Babyn Yar Historical and Memorial Reserve," noted Roza Tapanova.
"The exhibition is interesting and unique because its creators attempt to merge the painful experiences of the past with the traumatic reality of today. No one else can convey this better and more truthfully than Ukrainians who face brutal war every day. This exhibition is literally infused with a sense of connection between the past and the present," stated Marius Pečiulis, Director of the IX Fort Museum in Kaunas.
The exhibition features documents and photographs from the Bakhmut Local History Museum's archives, providing a detailed chronology of historical events and illustrating the scale of the Nazi crimes in 1942. Visitors can view unique archival materials, eyewitness accounts, and documents that became crucial evidence in the Nuremberg Trials, preserved since the start of the modern genocide. The exhibition also highlights artistic installations that enhance perception and convey the emotional impact of these historical events.
The exhibition will be open until October 29 of this year.
Note: The IX Fort Museum in Kaunas is an important institution for Lithuania's cultural heritage, dedicated to the research, preservation, and promotion of the history of genocide, wars, and other tragedies that impacted the country in the 20th century.