On July 4, the Babyn Yar National Historical and Memorial Reserve hosted a special event within the joint initiative “Diplomacy of Memory,” organized in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. Nearly 40 representatives of diplomatic missions gathered to view the documentary exhibition “When the World Falls Apart”, which tells the story of the unbuilt Babyn Yar memorial by artists Ada Rybachuk and Volodymyr Melnichenko.

The honored guest of the evening was Iryna Mudra, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.

Opening remarks were delivered by First Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Serhiy Kyslytsya, who emphasized the enduring power of truth, memory, and art in resisting authoritarianism and historical erasure.

“Today, as Russia strikes brutally against Kyiv and other peaceful cities across Ukraine — and as some continue to avoid naming Russian aggression or call for restraint from so-called ‘accusatory rhetoric’ — we must recognize that the refusal to name aggression and crimes for what they are only undermines the very possibility of justice and peace.
After the Holocaust, the world said ‘Never again’ — and created the Nuremberg Tribunal to hold those responsible for genocide and mass killings to account.
Today, the creation of a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression gives us hope that justice will come again,” Kyslytsya said.

Rosa Tapanova, Director of the Babyn Yar Reserve, welcomed guests and added:

“We are restoring an important history to the public space.
The Babyn Yar memorial, conceived in 1965, did not fit the official Soviet narrative — and was silenced.
But memory cannot be erased. Today, we speak of tragedy, of art, and of the struggle to remember.”

The program included a live reading from “To Memory”, a requiem book by Ada Rybachuk and Volodymyr Melnychenko, performed by Stepan Yanchuk, actor of the Lesya Ukrainka National Theater.

Documentary filmmaker Oleksiy Radynski presented rare archival footage of a 1966 gathering at Babyn Yar — long believed to be lost — revealing a forgotten moment of resistance and remembrance.

The evening concluded with a curated tour of the exhibition “When the World Falls Apart”, which continues to explore forgotten voices, erased visions, and the persistent power of art to defy silence.

The exhibition is open to the public through July 31 at the “Living Memory” exhibition center of the Babyn Yar National Reserve.
Admission is free.