"Memory can make of us people who will change Ukraine": an interview with Maksym Ostapenko, Director of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, for the Museum of Civilian Voices by Rinat Akhmetov Foundation

Maksym Ostapenko is a Ukrainian scientist, archaeologist, cultural activist, and a member of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Since 2023, he has been the Director General of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve. The public interview with the expert took place live as part of VOICES exhibition of the Museum of Civilian Voices by Rinat Akhmetov Foundation in Kyiv. Istorychna Pravda published a shortened version of the conversation.

It can be found here: https://bit.ly/3Nvxi8y

The Foundation has prepared a full video interview with Maksym Ostapenko, moderated by Anastasiia Platonova, a cultural critic and curator: https://bit.ly/4dSJMSh

According to the scholar, the war, given the number of victims, deaths and suffering, should educate and shape people. To do this, it is necessary to find a form that will be understandable to both Ukrainians and the whole world. Many answers and hints on how to do this can be found in our history.

"The Lavra, Sophiia, Chernihiv Ancient, and some other sites are not just memorial museum objects and national shrines. They emerged thousands of years ago and should continue to inspire us, help us find the right forms. All this time, people have been accumulating experience in how to honour prominent figures, spiritual leaders, and warriors. It is encoded in these monuments. I think that they will be the best guides," Maksym Ostapenko is convinced.

According to him, if we begin to look at the Lavra not as the epicentre of the Russian world, but remember that our thousand-year history is there, and look at how it happened in those days, certain elements and formats will be found.

"St Anthony of the Caves, who came to Kyiv hill where there was nothing, made a vision of what should appear here, and it worked for a thousand years. We still honour St Anthony. This should happen to our memory. I really believe that the suffering of the war has already given birth to such people. We need to create a platform for them to express themselves and create projects that would touch our hearts. We have to look for prophets in our own community," Maksym Ostapenko said.

He adds that without connecting ourselves to our roots, which go back a thousand years, we are doomed. That is why history and memory are of great importance.

The museum collects and stores the world's largest collection of first-hand accounts of the war in Ukraine - more than 120,000 stories. The VOICES exhibition, which was visited by over 5,000 people, was held at the Kyiv City History Museum and was based on the stories collected by the Museum of Civilian Voices.

Follow the announcements of events in the social networks of Rinat Akhmetov Foundation and on the Museum of Civilian Voices' portal https://civilvoicesmuseum.org/