Civilian Voices Heard in Germany: the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation Shared Ukrainians’ War Stories in Hamburg

On 9 May, the Consulate General of Ukraine in Hamburg took part in the traditional Long Night of the Consulates. The purpose of this year’s evening event was to draw public attention to personal stories of ordinary Ukrainians. The Museum of Civilian Voices of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation joined the event and shared the stories of Ukrainian civilians who became victims or witnesses of the war.

Dr. Iryna Tybinka, Consul General of Ukraine in Hamburg, commented on the event:

“The suffering and tragedies brought upon our Motherland by the Russia’s aggressive war affected each of us. For all my compatriots, myself included, this is a part of our personal story that hurts, and that is not always easy to share, but which always requires friendly support and understanding to be able to share it. These tragic stories are now forever part of our national identity, which Russian imperialism is so eager to destroy. Tonight we would like to tell you about both sides of Ukraine: about the suffering that my people have to go through just because we are free and independent, and about the power of faith and hope that is always present in our diverse Ukrainian culture and that has revived the solidarity of Germany and all democratic world with us.”

Representatives of the city of Hamburg, members of the State Council, and the consular corps of Ukraine attended the event. The evening was held under the slogan Ukraine is first of all about people. Its idea lies in the realization that the resistance, which the brave people of Ukraine continue, is aimed at one thing: freedom and the existence of our own identity. Ordinary people feel the consequences of Russia’s ongoing war of annihilation. The Museum of Civilian Voices of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation told the audience about the fate of some of them. 

The participants of the event had the opportunity to see and listen to the stories of Ukrainian civilians from the Museum’s collection, told first-hand. Everyone saw with their own eyes the tragedy of the Ukrainian people. Everyone heard the voices of civilians. The Museum has been collecting their stories since 2014 to preserve the memory of the war for a better and peaceful future. The archive of the Museum of Civilian Voices now has 70,000 stories. 

The guests of the event admitted that they were deeply impressed by what they saw and heard. They were interested to know more about the Museum and the stories of civilians. Citizens of Germany asked many questions to representatives of the Museum, seeking to learn more about Ukraine and Ukrainians.

Every story about the war matters. Share your story on the portal of the Museum of Civilian Voices: https://civilvoicesmuseum.org/ or via the toll-free hotline (800) 509 001.