Today, the War Museum opened a significant exhibition, “AIDAR. 10 YEARS,” dedicated to the Aidar battalion’s anniversary.
The exposition reflects a decade of the unit’s history, from a volunteer formation in the first weeks of russian aggression (2014) to a permanent combat unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It traces the military life of the 24th Separate Assault Battalion “Aidar” using artifacts.
The story of Aidar demonstrates how volunteers with diverse backgrounds can defeat a dangerous, more numerous enemy.
Yurii Savchuk, Director General of the War Museum, opening the event, said: “Today is a special day, as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the creation of the legendary and, without exaggeration, heroic Aidar battalion. We honor the defenders with this exhibition.” After that, he announced a minute of silence in memory of the fallen soldiers.
Junior Lieutenant Roman Demianiuk, an officer of the psychological support and recovery team, contributed to the exhibition. In his speech, he emphasized that material support for soldiers at the front is especially needed now. That is why the stand at the exhibition’s entrance has a QR code that allows you to join the fundraising for electronic warfare equipment for Aidar.
The emotional speech of Senior Sergeant Hryhory “The Jew” Pyvovarov, commander of an assault platoon, left no one indifferent. Hryhory is a citizen of the State of Izrael, but since 2014, he has been defending Ukraine with arms in his hands. “Since its inception, Aidar has always been at the forefront: storming, digging into the ground, inflicting devastating losses on the enemy. We are a people’s army and, feeling the support of the people, we are only moving forward,” summarized Senior Sergeant Pyvovarov.
Volodymyr Cherevaty, Head of Starobilsk District State Administration, spoke about the residents of Starobilsk who died defending their homeland as part of the Aidar battalion. Mr. Cherevaty emphasized the importance of keeping the memory of these courageous individuals alive.
“Today, an event with a unique nature is taking place at the Museum,” said Mariana Tomyn, Head of the Cultural Heritage Department of the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine.” Ms. Tomyn emphasized that this project has a social mission. As the War Museum is a national museum, it will be able to tell the stories of our defenders at the highest level.
Iryna Kotsabiuk, an employee at the Museum and the project’s curator, shared the details of the exhibition preparation with the audience. She emphasized that the most crucial aspect for her was to convey the essence of Aidar, which is not just an ordinary military formation but a single family where everyone feels the support of their brothers and sisters.
The exhibition’s opening was also attended by the project’s creative partners, Zoya Shu and Philip Caller, who recorded a series of video interviews with soldiers of the 24th Separate Assault Brigade “Beyond the Front” (May 2024). They arrived in the capital directly from the front, where they documented the realities of the russian-Ukrainian was through photography and film. Zoya Shu emphasized the importance of revealing the personal stories of the defenders, while Philip expressed his admiration for the courage and bravery of the Ukrainian soldiers. While with the Aidar soldiers near Chasiv Yar, he realized the great sacrifice these men and women make and is convinced that the world should know about them.
Sergeant Lyubov Konovalenko, a former Senior combat medic, gave an emotional speech with tears in her eyes. She had witnessed the war’s most gruesome aspects and had seen her comrades die in her arms. The doctor stressed that the Aidar battalion had accomplished real heroic deeds in unimaginable circumstances, and the “AIDAR. 10 YEARS” exhibition is a tribute to their bravery and perseverance.
After the opening ceremony, everyone was invited to tour the exhibition and meet the heroes in person.
We invite everyone to visit the exhibition and learn about the complex and heroic path of the Aidar battalion fighters.
