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

Posted On: July 3rd, 2025

Posted In: UJE Initiatives, A Journey through the Ukrainian-Jewish Encounter, Exhibits, Outreach

*Left:* Lilia Chyzh, head of the Department for Heritage Preservation and Methodology at the Cherkasy Regional Museum of Local History, presents the exhibition. Cherkasy, 11 June 2025. *Right:* The exhibition "A Journey Through the Ukrainian-Jewish Encounter: From Antiquity to 1939" is on display at the Cherkasy Regional Museum of Local History. Cherkasy, 11 June 2025.

On 11 June 2025, the Cherkasy Regional Museum of Local History hosted the grand opening of the exhibition "A Journey Through the Ukrainian-Jewish Encounter: From Antiquity to 1939," organized on UJE's initiative.

This exhibition is part of a broad educational project to explore and comprehend the centuries-old history of coexistence between Ukrainians and Jews in modern Ukraine. After being mounted in Sharhorod, Kyiv, Lviv, Vinnytsia, Kamianets-Podilsky, and other cities, the exhibition has now arrived in Cherkasy.

With its rich cultural heritage and deep ties to the Jewish history of central Ukraine, Cherkasy is one of the key historical cities in the region. In the 19th and 20th centuries, Jews made up a significant part of the city's population and were actively involved in the development of the local economy, crafts, culture, and education. That is why mounting this exhibition in Cherkasy is a symbolic step in restoring and understanding our shared past.

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 coexistence 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 opening ceremony was conducted at a high cultural and technical level. We express our sincere gratitude to our partners for their support and cooperation: the Cherkasy Regional Museum of Local History, its director, Iryna Sobko, and all its employees who contributed their talents to the organization of the solemn event.

At a time when the world is changing so rapidly, it is vital to preserve the memory of our common past and foster an atmosphere of respect and understanding between our communities. Our exhibition is also a call for dialogue and cooperation for a future where different cultures and traditions enrich each other.

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 will be open for a month, and all interested are invited to explore its content, ask questions, interact, and share thoughts. Your participation in this dialogue is the best support for our common cause.

Below are photos from the exhibition's opening ceremony at the Cherkasy Regional Museum of Local History and a brief video address in Ukrainian to the museum administration and exhibition visitors from Vladyslav Hrynevych, Jr., UJE's Regional Manager in Ukraine.