To mark the 80th anniversary of the End of World War II in Europe and the Victory over Nazism, the War Museum held a presentation of the exhibition project “Our Victory”, featuring the ceremonial lighting of the “Flame of Glory”.
The commemorative event was opened by Mykola Tochytskyi, Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine. In his speech, he emphasized the importance of standing up for the truth in these difficult times:
“The generation of World War II participants is passing away, but the loss of living memory must not become an opportunity to fill the gaps with falsehoods, as russia is trying to do today. This is a major professional and ethical challenge for historians, museum workers, artists, writers, and scholars in Ukraine and Europe — to preserve truthful memory and a shared sense of responsibility for peace”.
Mychailo Wynnyckyj, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, added: “For hundreds of years, Ukrainians fought for the right to speak their native language, live in their own country, and study their own history. Today, we have all these opportunities, and we honor the contribution of Ukrainians to world history”.
The audience was moved by the speech of Dimitris Sotiropoulos, Chair of the Governing Board and Bureau of the Observatory on History Teaching in Europe, Council of Europe. “We Europeans had the illusion that war would never again return to Europe, but unfortunately, war has begun again, and we are now faced with reality. We all must realize that the russian-Ukrainian war is our war too, and Ukrainians are fighting for all of us. It is an honor for me to be here with you today”.
Oleksandr Lysenko, Head of the Department at the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, emphasized: “This banner exhibition presents numbers, statistics, facts... Behind every word stand hundreds of studies, investigations, and academic works”.
In conclusion, Yurii Savchuk, Director General of the War Museum, stated: “The aim of the event is to honor the memory of Ukrainians who were victims of the largest armed conflict in human history. The exhibition “Our Victory” presents a Ukrainian perspective on the events of World War II. It is being shaped now, as Ukrainians once again defend their freedom with weapons in hand. Telling the story of Ukrainian history and our contribution to victory is the Museum’s duty to society, and most importantly, to our Defenders”.
The culmination of the event was the lighting of the “Flame of Glory”. The flame had not been lit for several years, but was reignited on the 80th anniversary of the Victory over Nazism, symbolizing our respect for all Ukrainians who fought – and continue to fight – for freedom.
