From War-Torn Ukraine to 9/11 New York

  • June 17, 2022
A row of people pose, smiling, at the Museum
L-R: Clifford Chanin, EVP & Deputy Director, Museum Programs; , Jan Ramirez, Chief Curator; Maria Shust; Alice Greenwald, President and CEO; Yurii Savchuk; and Lisa Conte, Head of Conservation Services.

On June 15, we proudly welcomed Yurii Savchuk, director of The National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War in Kyiv, and Maria Shust, director of the Ukrainian Museum in NYC, for a special tour. 

Savchuk - in just a month - created the exhibition "Crucified Ukraine," a powerful collection of images and artifacts documenting the ongoing war in his country. He was often the first to set foot at Russian bombing sites after the Ukrainian military cleared them of mines, taking photographs himself and gathering what relevant items he could for inclusion in the exhibit. Savchuk's personal passion clearly infuses "Crucified Ukraine" with an added layer of meaning; thousands have already come to see it. 

The National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War was founded in the early 1980s as a paean to the Soviet Union's achievements in World War II. But Savchuk says he strives to cultivate an institution that tells the narrative of Ukrainian independence, the harsh reality of the current conflict, and the nation's aspirations for the future - all of which he's doing in real time against an unimaginable backdrop. 

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

Previous Post

Stars of Hope a Symbol of Strength in Ukraine

Four men with cropped dark hair, dressed in military fatigues, one holding a blue and yellow hand-painted wood star, stand against a white brick wall giving "thumbs up." An open box of canned food and supplies is visible in front of them.

Dr. Alison Thompson, a 9/11 first responder, brought a little brightness to soldiers in war-torn Ukraine, when she delivered Stars of Hope that were hand-painted by Memorial & Museum staff in a gesture of support. 

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New York to Norway: Remembrance and Rebuilding After Tragedy

A small white house at the end of a driveway, surrounded by trees

Alice Greenwald, President and CEO, and Clifford Chanin, Executive Vice President and Deputy Director of Museum Programs, talk about the ways their experience with the 9/11 Memorial helped inform the design of Norway's memorial to those killed on the island of Utøya in 2011. 

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