In the centre of Kyiv in Ukraine, as war continues, a national history museum remains open. It still welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors each year to its impressive underground space despite the ongoing destruction of the city and the country, as Ukrainians grip to any semblance of normality.
The National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War has brought a small part of its work to London this week, supported by the Ukrainian ambassador to the UK. The exhibition, Indomitable Ukraine, displays artefacts collected from the frontline of the current war – recovered directly from the battlefield and shipped to the UK for public view for the first time.
A diary of a Russian soldier, remaining parts of a warplane, medals, authentic uniforms, weaponry and artwork are among the 600 exhibits drawn from the frontline and liberated territories. It tells the story of Ukrainian people fighting to protect their independence and freedom.
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This is deeply meaningful for Yuliia Paievska, a Ukrainian medic known as ‘Taira’ who was imprisoned by Russian soldiers in 2022. At the launch event of the exhibition, dressed in uniform, she spoke to the Big Issue about her story and her hopes for the future of her country.
“The world must get inside and must be aware of what we are dealing with,” Paieveska said. “Sometimes our mind is wiped in a way to shield us from what gets us scared. What Russia is doing is totally horrifying. It’s difficult to imagine.”
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Paievska, who is a trained psychologist, described her experience while jailed [by Russian occupiers]. “Just imagine everything that is meaningful to you and valuable to you. You are deprived of those things. You are in full isolation. You are in full suppression. For 24 hours, you are under torture or psychological pressure. They try to beat you.
“Your only possession is what you are wearing. Nothing is given to you. No toothbrush. No soap. Nothing. It is like medieval torture. It does not look like a modern prison at all.”
Paievska says that she received medical treatment and has now rejoined her unit. She has been renowned as a symbol of resilience and heroism in Ukraine, but she says she does not feel that way. “There’s a lot of people like me in Ukraine. I don’t think I’m outstanding or something special. I’m just regular.”
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Hasn't Israel conquered land from almost all of its neighbors? Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt at least (although the Egyptian land was returned), right? 🤔