Exhibition "A Journey Through the Ukrainian-Jewish Encounter: From Antiquity to 1939" travels to Tulchyn
On 25 June 2025, the Tulchyn Local History Museum hosted the grand opening of the exhibition "A Journey Through the Ukrainian-Jewish Encounter: From Antiquity to 1939," organized on UJE's initiative, in what was another stage of the all-Ukrainian cultural and educational tour dedicated to the centuries-old history of Ukrainian-Jewish coexistence.
Tulchyn, a town with deep historical roots, was once a powerful Jewish center in Podolia. Before World War II, Jews made up a significant part of its population, developing crafts, trade, and the religious and cultural scene. The current exhibition is an important gesture honoring this common Ukrainian-Jewish heritage.
Anna Porozhna, Director of the Tulchyn Local History Museum, presented the exhibition, and Kateryna Tretiakova, head of the municipal Department for Culture, Tourism, and Cultural Heritage Protection, welcomed the guests. Hennadiy Popivker, head of the NGO "Jews for Care and Faith" and a Tulchyn Town Council member, spoke about the importance of dialogue between the communities and preserving historical memory.
Representatives of local authorities and NGOs, educators, students, local historians, and Tulchyn poetry and art circle members attended the opening ceremony. Notably, members of the local Jewish community and the organization "Jews for Care and Faith" were also present.
The exhibition consists of a series of thematic stands, illustrated with historical photographs, maps, archival documents, and explanatory texts in Ukrainian and English. It covers more than a millennium of Ukrainian-Jewish coexistence on the territory of modern Ukraine — from the first settlements to the beginning of World War II. Both periods of cooperation and cultural exchange and times of crises and tragedies are emphasized.
Each visitor to the exhibition's opening was presented with a small book set, including 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 to the public until 1 September 2025. In the first days, it was visited by dozens of students, teachers, artists, and interested Tulchyn residents. The event aroused considerable interest and brought new conversations about history, tolerance, and the power of shared memory.
Vladyslav Hrynevych, Jr., Regional Manager, UJE Ukraine
