Exhibition "Bakhmut: The Face of Genocide 1942|2022" оpens in Lviv

On March 15, the Center for Architecture, Design, and Urbanism "Vezha" in Lviv unveiled the exhibition "Bakhmut: The Face of Genocide 1942|2022". This exhibition explores the harrowing parallels between the destruction of Bakhmut by Russian forces in the present day and the Nazi atrocities committed in the city during the Holocaust.

Organized by the National Historical and Memorial Reserve Babyn Yar in collaboration with the Bakhmut Local History Museum and the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP), the exhibition presents documentary photography of Bakhmut from 2022–2023 by Konstantin and Vlada Liberov, Serhii Korovainyi, Andrii Dubchak, and George Ivanchenko.

“This exhibition stitches together the torn pages of our history. When we speak of Bakhmut, we are not just talking about one city but about a world where people are once again being exterminated simply for who they are. It is symbolic that this exhibition is housed in Lviv’s oldest surviving fortress because Bakhmut, too, became a fortress — a city that shielded Ukraine even as it was destroyed. But as long as we remember, this fortress will live on”, – said Roza Tapanova, Director of the Babyn Yar Reserve, at the exhibition’s opening.

Angelina Yefymenko, Director of the Vezha Center, highlighted the importance of cultural events in processing historical trauma and fostering public dialogue: “Culture not only preserves memory but helps us make sense of the experiences we are living through now. It is crucial that exhibitions like this become places for reflection and encounter for as many people as possible”.

Deputy Head of the Lviv Regional Military Administration, Ivan Sobko, emphasized: “Empires are evil. Ukraine and Bakhmut suffered under Nazi oppression in 1942, and now, once again, under Russian brutality. But Ukraine has been, is, and will be. To prevent such crimes from happening again, we must call evil by its name — and exhibitions like this play a vital role in that”.

The exhibition features archival documents and materials from the Bakhmut Local History Museum, attesting to Nazi crimes in 1942. “The Bakhmut Museum has always been a place of memory preservation, but this war has shown that even memory itself can become a target. The museum no longer physically exists, but our work continues — we will not allow these stories to disappear”, – said acting museum director Ihor Kornatskyi.

A central element of the exhibition is a series of video installations by artist Mykhailo Alekseenko, "Dust 2014" and "Dust 2022",  which use the metaphor of dust to reflect on how totalitarian regimes attempt to erase the memory of entire peoples. “War brings destruction and dust — the dust that settles on places where people once lived, on roads that were once pathways of life. Through art, this dust becomes a lens to understand history”, –  explained exhibition curator Mariia Mizina.

During a guided tour, Mizina outlined the exhibition’s structure: “We have created a space that tells the story of the destruction of culture, history, and human lives in Ukraine by two different totalitarian regimes — Nazis in 1942 and Russia in 2022. This exhibition serves as an artistic document, capturing history both past and present”.

A special section is dedicated to the video works of German artist Clemens von Wedemeyer, who explores historical trauma through contemporary art. Guest curator Dana Brezhnieva remarked: “Clemens von Wedemeyer returned to a city that, 80 years ago, his grandfather — a Wehrmacht officer — filmed. His works layer time: archives, picturesque streets, and, alongside them, traces of war crimes. His first project on Bakhmut was in 2016, an exploration of his own identity and heritage. But when the war began, he revisited the city, now destroyed by Russian forces in 2023. His work has become a mirror of history, asking: Why are we here again? Can we change the future?”

The exhibition concludes with "Spilled Tears", an art installation by Mykhailo Alekseenko, symbolizing grief and serving as a reminder that preserving the memory of the dead is the duty of the living.

Bakhmut: The Face of Genocide 1942|2022 will run in Lviv until the end of April, reinforcing the message that the fight for truth and memory is a fight for the future.

Exhibition Dates: March 15 – April 30
Location: Center for Architecture, Design, and Urbanism Vezha
 ⏳ Hours: Tue 12:00–18:00, Wed–Sun 12:00–20:00, Mon – closed
🎟 Admission: Free

Exhibition Team:

Concept: Roza Tapanova, Mariia Mizina, Oleksii Moroz
Lead Curator: Mariia Mizina
Guest Curator: Dana Brezhnieva
Project Manager: Anastasiia Paseka
Supervisor: Yevheniia Kasianchuk
Design: Ruslan Tukanov, Viktor Kolesnikov
Production: Oleksandr Mosindz-Khalchenia
Technical Support: Oleksii Yadchenko