Carriers of the Memory. Fallen Journalists – 2022 is the name of the exhibition-memorial of respect for journalism professionals. The stands present the biographies of journalists who fell victim to the military offensive, shelling, and physical abuse.
The project, implemented by the Academy of the Ukrainian Press with the support of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany, and Civil Society Cooperation in partnership with the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), was presented in Kyiv on Wednesday, November 23.
As Bertram von Moltke, Permanent Deputy Ambassador of Germany to Ukraine, noted at the opening of the memorial exhibition, Germany unconditionally supports Ukraine in its defensive war against Russia.
“This is a war that Ukraine is fighting for the sake of us all, the war in which it is forced to pay dearly with destruction, grief, and blood. The exhibition we are opening today tells about those who paid with their lives to tell people the truth. Some of them died while transmitting information from the front. Others have become civilian victims of Russia’s inexcusable warfare,” said Mr. von Moltke.
The diplomat emphasized that Germany’s support for the free press in Ukraine is not limited to this exhibition. It has a long history. Germany supported the creation of public television in Ukraine, conducted trainings and fruitful exchange of experience between colleagues from the two countries.
Addressing NUJU President Sergiy Tomilenko, Mr. von Moltke reminded that only last year, the German government and the NUJU jointly completed a large project dedicated to the protection of the press by law enforcement agencies of Ukraine.
“No one wanted this support of the Ukrainian press to be reoriented towards the war. But we responded to this challenge,” the diplomat noted with sadness.
Mr. von Moltke added that so far, Germany has not only supported the creation of this important exhibition, but in the coming weeks will supply body armor and helmets, as well as IT equipment for journalists working on the frontline. A new German-funded project to provide journalists with a shelter to broadcast from will begin this week.
Tetiana Ustymenko, a project manager of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation in Ukraine and Belarus, noted that, unfortunately, there is no way to tell about all the victims of this terrible war.
“The 21 stories presented at the exhibition are just a small portion of what we can do to honor the memory of those who chose to bring the truth to the general public as their life’s goal. Even in this difficult time, the main desire of many of us remains to protect the value and dignity of human life and freedom,” said Ms. Ustymenko.
Media trainer of the Academy of the Ukrainian Press (AUP) Andrii Yurychko and Executive Director of the AUP Andrii Kovalenko talked about the activities of the AUP aimed at training media workers to work in war conditions, cooperation with the NUJU and the Independent Media Trade Union of Ukraine.
“Unfortunately, behind many true news from the front today is the face of the deceased journalist,” noted Andriy Yurychko.
“Ukraine has two disadvantages: the first is the border with Russia, the second is the border with Belarus,” not Yuliya Kulyk, an AUP project manager.
“Everyone knows one very particular date in February, and it would be more correct to say – the February date for Ukrainians, a full-scale war began. There was no reason for it to start, except for one old “reason” sitting in the Kremlin. The paradox of the situation is that there is nothing worse than being in a country where bombs are being dropped and missiles are being launched. In a country where cities are being burned down, people are being tortured, they are trying to arrange a “coldacaust ” and cut off not only energy resources, but also millions of Ukrainian lives. However, there is nothing better than being born Ukrainian, because we are welcomed literally everywhere, almost the whole world supports us,” said Ms. Kulyk.
She noted that the greatest gratitude of Ukrainians today goes to the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but journalists are also at the epicenter of events, who literally write history.
NUJU President Sergiy Tomilenko, speaking at the opening of the exhibition, emphasized its importance for honoring the memory of fallen colleagues, “many of whom we knew personally.” It is important to talk about what they were like, what character traits they had, how they behaved in difficult situations. The exhibition memorial is focused on such an approach, it is designed to convey in an artistic form the humanity and spirituality of those who were taken from us by the difficult circumstances of the war.
“For a terrorist state, journalists are one of the main targets. Terrorists want to stop recording by journalists of war crimes committed by the occupiers. This is confirmed by our colleagues who survived shelling and shooting of their cars. The status of a journalist becomes a “red rag” for the occupiers. Immediately after the Russian tanks, hunters of journalists come to the occupied territories, demanding our media workers to take their side. Absolute majority of journalists refuse collaboration,” said the NUJU President.
Sergiy Tomilenko thanked foreign partners who help the Ukrainian journalist community, and told about the network of Centers of Journalist Solidarity of the NUJU, through which technical, material and financial assistance is provided to Ukrainian media workers. The activities of the network of Journalist Solidarity Centers are supported by the International and European Federations of Journalists and the UNESCO headquarters.
He called on media workers who leave for work in hot spots to use the free rental of bulletproof vests and other protective equipment at the Journalist Solidarity Centers.
According to the Deputy Head of the Department for the Protection of Public and State Interests of the National Police of Ukraine, Vladyslav Royik, this department actively cooperates with journalists, in particular, in documenting crimes committed by the occupiers in Ukraine. He thanked the media for their cooperation and expressed hope for its continuation.
As earlier reported, as part of the presentation of the memorial exhibition entitled Carriers of the Memory. Fallen Journalists – 2022 provides training for journalists in three cities: Cherkasy (November 25), Lviv (November 28), and Ivano-Frankivsk (November 29).
UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It contributes to peace and security by promoting international cooperation in education, sciences, culture, communication and information. UNESCO promotes knowledge sharing and the free flow of ideas to accelerate mutual understanding. It is the coordinator of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity , which aims to create a free and safe environment for journalists and media workers, thus strengthening peace, democracy and sustainable development worldwide. UNESCO is working closely with its partner organizations in Ukraine to provide support to journalists on the ground.
