Exhibition "A Journey Through the Ukrainian-Jewish Encounter: From Antiquity to 1939" in Haisyn

From 28 April through 28 May 2025, the Haisyn Regional Museum of Local History hosted the exhibition "A Journey Through the Ukrainian-Jewish Encounter: From Antiquity to 1939," organized on UJE's initiative. It was a key event within a Ukraine-wide educational project to draw attention to the common historical heritage of Ukrainians and Jews.

After being mounted in Kyiv, Lviv, Vinnytsia, Sharhorod, and other cities of Ukraine, the exhibition arrived in Haisyn. There are strong historical reasons for this, as the Jewish community was active in the Haisyn region in the past, playing a significant role in its social and economic life. Before World War II, Jews comprised a significant part of the town's population, engaging in trade, crafts, and medicine and actively participating in the urban cultural space.

The exhibition covers the period from the earliest Jewish presence in Ukrainian lands to the beginning of World War II. It tells a story of the multifaceted relations between Ukrainians and Jews — two peoples who have coexisted for over a millennium in the lands that make up modern Ukraine. These relations have developed over centuries and include experiences of living side by side under constantly changing political regimes and interaction with other peoples. It is a history of long periods of coexistence and cultural enrichment, as well as times of crisis. The exhibition aims to promote a better understanding of the complex and multifaceted shared history of the two peoples, to overcome stereotypes, and to strengthen interethnic dialogue.

The exhibition attracted teachers, students, military personnel, and Haisyn residents interested in history and roused lively interest, especially among young people and the educational community.

Each visitor to the exhibition's opening was presented with a copy of the catalog A Journey Through the Ukrainian-Jewish Encounter: From Antiquity to 1914. This lavishly illustrated 168-page edition was designed to present a coherent narrative and explore the shared historical experience of the two peoples in all its diversity and complexity — both in times of crisis and episodic violence and during extended periods of normal coexistence and multifaceted intercultural interaction.

The exhibition in Haisyn was open for a month and became a significant event for the local community. It reminded the visitors of an important part of local history and opened up space for new conversations about memory, mutual understanding, and responsibility for the past.

Vladyslav Hrynevych, Jr., Regional Manager, UJE Ukraine