The VEZHA Identity Space and its first exhibition, “Code of Identity: The Voice of the Community,” were inaugurated in Kyiv.
A space has been created for the people of Mariupol where personal stories, community memories, and cultural heritage will find a place to be preserved, studied, and discussed anew.
As part of the space’s grand opening, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the Mariupol City Military Administration, Mariupol State University, and the Federation of Greek Societies of Ukraine. The parties have joined forces to preserve the cultural heritage, historical memory, and identity of the Mariupol community.
Guests were the first to view the exhibition “Code of Identity: The Voice of the Community,” which explores the history of Mariupol through eight themes: the sea, the city, freedom, metal, culture, heritage, the future, and roots. Personal memories, family archives, residents’ stories, and contemporary materials demonstrate how an individual’s memory becomes part of the memory of the entire community.
The opening continued with a panel discussion titled “The War Against Identity and Meaning: Documentation, Memory, and Justice for Occupied Ukrainian Communities.” Participants discussed the preservation of cultural heritage, the documentation of crimes against identity, and the role of memory in community recovery.
There are many educational, cultural, and discussion events ahead that will help keep the conversation going about the communities’ identities, their history, and their future.
The project is being implemented by the charitable organization “I Am Mariupol Foundation” as part of the “U-LEAD with Europe” Program, which is supported by the European Union and its member states: Germany, Denmark, France, Austria, Poland, and Slovenia.
Source: Vezha - простір ідентичності та сенсів