The exhibition "A Journey Through the Ukrainian-Jewish Encounter: From Antiquity to 1939" continues in Vinnytsia Oblast
The exhibition "A Journey Through the Ukrainian-Jewish Encounter: From Antiquity to 1939," which started its tour last summer, is ongoing.
The city of Zhmerynka in Vinnytsia Oblast is the fifth stop on a tour selected by the region's museum community in partnership with the Ukrainian Jewish Encounter's (UJE) representative office in Ukraine.
Zhmerynka, located on the Right Bank of Ukraine between the villages of Velyka and Mala Zhmerynka, was founded in 1865 on the site of a cleared oak forest. The city has a significant railway junction connecting Kyiv, Odesa, Lviv, and Mohyliv-Podilskyi, with links to many European cities.
The exhibition's theme highlights the complex relationship between Ukrainians and Jews, two peoples who have coexisted for over a millennium on the territory of what is now modern-day Ukraine. These relationships have evolved over the centuries and are characterized by coexistence amidst shifting political regimes and interactions with other groups. This narrative includes long periods of living together, cultural mutual enrichment, and instances of crisis.
The exhibition was displayed at the Zhmerynka City Historical Museum from 24 January to 7 February 2025. According to its director, Hanna Sheremeta, the show highlighted the significance of cultural diversity and integration and demonstrated the positive effects of interethnic relations on society.
An important indicator of interest in the exhibit was the visit from a group of high school students from a secondary school in Zhmerynka.
The exhibition tour began in the region's capital, the lovely city of Vinnytsia. From its grand opening on 10 July to 11 August 2024, it was displayed in the academic hall of the Vinnytsia Regional Museum of Local Lore, located in the city's historic center, attracting several thousand residents and visitors.
The decision to launch a museum tour in the Vinnytsia region resulted from its successful debut. The collaboration between the region's museum community and UJE to promote awareness of Ukrainian-Jewish history and culture greatly influenced this decision.
The exhibit was also shown from 27 August to 27 September 2024 as part of an international art event highlighting the historical cooperation between Ukrainians and Jews, hosted at the Lityn Holocaust Museum in the village of Lityn.
The exhibit was shown at the Literary-Memorial Museum, named after Mykhailo Stelmakh, in the village of Dyakivtsi from 2 October to 5 November 2024.
The exhibit was opened at the local House of Culture on 27 November 2024, in cooperation with the Khmilnyk Historical Museum. It remained on display until 8 January 2025.
On 12 December 2024, it was presented to students of the Khmilnyk Lyceum.
Organizers plan to display the exhibition next in Sharhorod, where it will soon open at the local art museum. In March, it will move to the Museum of History and Local Lore of Podilia in Mohyliv-Podilskyi.
Every visitor to the exhibition receives the catalog book "A Journey Through the Ukrainian-Jewish Encounter: From Antiquity to 1939." This publication is also distributed to district and school libraries in the locations where the UJE exhibition was displayed.
Vladyslav Hrynevych, Jr. Regional Manager, UJE Ukraine
