The National Human Rights Museum (NHRM) of the Ministry of Culture, Taiwan, Ukraine Museum of Women's and Gender History, National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War and Ukrainian Voices and independent media The Reporter joined hands to present When Temporary becomes the Ordinary: ___ /___ Days of War for Ukrainian Women, an exhibition which tells the stories of Ukrainian women in times of conflict, not only ruminating on the violation against human rights during war but also prompting reflection on the broader implications for Taiwanese society.

A press conference was held today (March 21st), attended by esteemed guests, including Minister of Culture Shih, Che, National Human Rights Museum Director Hung, Shih-fang, Ukrainian Voices founder Oleksander Shyn & cofounder Mariana Savchenko, The Reporter's Editor-in-Chief Lee, Sherry, and exhibition consultant Professor Hung, Mei-Lan from the Graduate Institute of Russian Studies at National Chengchi University. Tetiana Isaieva, the Director of Museum of Women's and Gender History gave her opening remarks via pre-recorded video.

According to Hung Shih-fang, director of the Museum of Human Rights, the museum sent a delegation to attend the annual conference of the Federation of International Human Rights Museums (FIHRM) in September 2002 where they met Tetiana Isaieva, director of the Ukraine Museum of Women's and Gender History, leading to this opportunity of collaboration. At the conference, Tetiana recounted the challenges faced by her museum, including its forced closure, the displacement of staff due to the Russo-Ukrainian conflict and their efforts to collect personal stories during wartime. Tetiana gave a Ukrainian flag she carried while seeking refuge to the National Human Rights Museum, expressing her hope that the stories of Ukraine would be carried to Taiwanese society through the flag. Director Hung, Shih-fang heeded Tetiana's bidding, and after the FIHRM annual conference, NHRM began the preparation for this exhibition and this national flag of Ukraine has also become one of the exhibits, a token of the unwavering spirit of the Ukrainian people.

The special exhibition, titled " When Temporary becomes the Ordinary: ___ /___ Days of War for Ukrainian Women," tallies the number of days since the onset of the Crimean War and the Russo-Ukrainian War. This highlights the telltale signs of aggression were beginning to emerge in 2014 when Crimea fell under Russian control while underscoring the unrelenting perseverance of the Ukrainian people. As the exhibition progresses, the number will go up each day, allowing visitors to experience how war has become an everyday reality for Ukrainians.

This exhibition showcases the living conditions of Ukrainians following the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian War, foregrounding for the public the context of the conflict and the complicated historical relationships between the two nations. The exhibition features 14 stories selected from the Museum of Women's and Gender History's HERSTORY of the WAR project, which commenced after the conflict began. The written accounts and video documentation by Ukrainian women illustrate their journeys under the shadow of war. The National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War contributes four animations which presents children's drawings and writings in their daily wartime lives, relfecting their unique perspectives and how they feel about the conflict. The exhibition also enlists The Reporter, an independent media outlet from Taiwan to display the valuable images captured by its journalists as they went deep into Ukraine to cover the stories of war.

The National Human Rights Museum encourages visitors to leave messages of support for the Ukrainian people along with the number in the exhibition title on the day of their visits. These messages will be delivered to the partnering Ukrainian organizations of the exhibition. During the exhibition, a series of events will be organized, such as an international online seminar with the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War on their experiences of documenting and collecting exhibits from the front lines since April 2022. The "The Reporter for Kids" team, which has previously produced a feature War and Peace for children and worked closely with schools, will hold workshops to help children understand war and reflect on the meaning of human rights. The Ukrainian Voices, which participated in the curation process, will also organize several talks where Ukrainians will share their experiences of living under Russian occupation and the inspiring stories of resistance. The exhibition will be accompanied by multiple online and in-person talks. For more information, please visit the official website and Facebook page of the National Human Rights Museum, and the public is welcome to sign up and participate.

When Temporary becomes the Ordinary: ___ /___ Days of War for Ukrainian Women

Time: April 21, 2023 to November 21, 2023

Location: 2nd Floor, Ren'ai Building, Jing-Mei White Terror Memorial Park (No. 131, Fuxing Road, Xindian District, New Taipei City)

For more pictures/media materials:

Press Contact: Zhang Yanchang, The National Human Rights Museum 02-2218-2438 ext. 510/ 0912-275-823

Organizer: Wu Zongrong, The National Human Rights Museum, 02-2218-2438 ext. 603/ 0935-258-616