On February 1, 2025, the Babyn Yar National Historical and Memorial Reserve welcomed educators from across Ukraine participating in an educational seminar organized by the Centropa Institute for Jewish History. The seminar aims to introduce teachers to Ukraine’s Jewish heritage and provide them with methodologies for incorporating Centropa’s historical research into their curricula.
A key component of the seminar was an introduction to the newly opened exhibition, "A Century of Ukrainian-Jewish History: Photographs and Stories 1920–2024", presented at the "Living Memory" exhibition center. Edward Serotta, Director of Centropa, personally guided the participants through the exhibition, highlighting its significance in understanding the history of Jewish life in Ukraine.
During the visit, Roza Tapanova, Director of the Babyn Yar National Historical and Memorial Reserve, spoke about the mission of the "Living Memory" exhibition center and its role in educational outreach.
“For us, it is essential that Babyn Yar remains not only a site of remembrance but also a space for learning and reflection. Educational programs and exhibitions like this Centropa initiative help deepen understanding of our nation’s complex history”.
As part of the visit, the educators took part in a guided tour of Babyn Yar, led by Olha Limonova, Coordinator of Formal Education Projects at the Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies. The discussion focused on the challenges of memorializing the Babyn Yar tragedy and the role of historical sites in shaping national memory.
The Centropa exhibition "A Century of Ukrainian-Jewish History: Photographs and Stories 1920–2024" presents archival and contemporary photographs documenting a century of Jewish life in Ukraine. It includes historical images collected from over 260 interviews, as well as photographs taken during the war from 2022 to 2024.
The exhibition is open to the public at the "Living Memory" exhibition center until February 28, 2025.
Location: 46A Yurii Illienko St., Kyiv
Hours: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Admission: Free
Photo: Taras Kovalchuk