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21 January 2010 14:33

Ukraine 3000 Foundation Intends to Donate UAH 80,000 to Soviet Occupation Museum

January 21, 2010, Head of the Supervisory Board of the Ukraine 3000 International Charitable Foundation Kateryna Yushchenko took part in the presentation of the People’s War documentary exhibition and Open Electronic SSU Archive.

The event, hosted by the Soviet Occupation Museum, was organized by the All-Ukrainian Vasyl Stus Memorial Alliance, Kyiv branch, with the support of the SSU State Archive.

Also took part in the presentation Vice Premier Ivan Vasiunyk, Head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance Ihor Yukhnovsky, Head of the SSU State Archive Volodymyr Vyatrovych, Deputy Head  of the Kyiv City State Administration Serhiy Rudyk, Head of the All-Ukrainian Vasyl Stus Memorial Alliance, Kyiv branch, and director of the  Soviet Occupation Museum Roman Krutsyk, researchers, and public figures.

Mrs. Yushchenko thanked the members of the Memorial Alliance, Kyiv branch, for their great work on collecting and processing information. “History is important not only as a science dealing with the past; it affects all aspects of the present,” Mrs. Kateryna said. “Today we see various aftereffects of our past. Until we learn our history, we won’t be able to go forward.”

Kateryna Yushchenko said that from now on, the Ukrainians would have access to even more information: 17,000 more documents and 2,000 photographs in the Open Electronic Archive. “I want us to be able to speak the truth without fear,” she said.

On behalf of the Ukraine 3000 Foundation, Mrs. Yushchenko passed over to the Open Electronic Archive a package of materials created buy the Foundation: electronic versions of the Executed by Hunger: the Unknown Genocide of the Ukrainians (in eight languages), The Broken Fates: the Communist Terror in Ukraine in the 1920s-1950s, and Repressed Spirit: the Destruction by Communist Regime of the Religion, Church, and Traditional Rites in Ukraine. Also are being prepared for delivery e-versions of some books, published by the Ukraine 3000 Foundation on the 75th anniversary of the Holodomor famine of 1932-1933 in Ukraine.

Mrs. Yushchenko announced the Ukraine 3000 Foundation’s intention to donate UAH 80,000 to the Soviet Occupation Museum.

“The today’s unveiling is just another lesson in memory, whose effect will last for many decades,” Vice Premier Vasiunyk said. He added that the exhibits of the People’s War exhibition were unique and should be presented to as many people as possible. He spoke in favor of the exhibition’s broad circulation, in part, a long-term display at the Ukrainian House and a big tour of Ukraine.

Mr. Yukhnovsky also offered his help in promoting the exhibition. He voiced the Institute of National Remembrance’s preparedness to publish its materials as a leaflet and distribute throughout Ukraine.

The People’s War exhibition narrates the history of the liberation movement in 1917-1932 and demonstrates the Ukrainian people’s struggle against the Soviet occupation. The first part of the display has 17 mounts presenting the following chapters: The Awakening of Ukrainian Identity, The Creation of the State: the Story of the Central Rada, The Hetmanate, The Directoire, The WUNR, The First Occupation, The Second Occupation, The Third Occupation, The Cheka Crimes, Destroying the National Spirit, Economic Crimes, and Crimes against Humanity.

The Open Electronic Archive contains 17,000 declassified documents by SSU, almost 2,000 photographs, over 100 research papers, and a number of museum displays.