Exhibition about Ukrainian cultural sites destroyed by Russia displayed at the Ukraine Recovery Conference

Exhibition about Ukrainian cultural sites destroyed by Russia displayed at the Ukraine Recovery Conference. Photo by MIST

The exhibition about the Ukrainian cultural sites destroyed by Russia "Behind the Lens: Culture Under Attack" by the Institute of Mass Information and UNESCO was presented at the Ukraine Recovery Conference, which will take place in Berlin on June 11–12.

The exhibition brought together the work of 65 photographers. Through the camera lenses, you can see the scarred facades of churches, the broken windows of culture halls, the collapsed ceilings of theaters, the ashes of libraries. They record the labour of artists and performers, cultural figures and volunteers who continue to work in wartime.

"This project highlighted the important role of journalists in documenting the destruction in Ukraine, as well as in the recovery process. UNESCO emphasizes that in order to rebuild the country, we must be informed about the war's impact on culture, education and science, and for this, the support of a strong media sector in Ukraine is important," said Chiara Dezzi Bardeschi, the Head of UNESCO Desk in Ukraine.

Exhibition about Ukrainian cultural sites destroyed by Russia displayed at the Ukraine Recovery Conference. Photo by MIST

The IMI director Oksana Romaniuk says that the joint photo exhibition with UNESCO at the Ukraine Recovery Conference is symbolic, as it conveys the Ukrainian people's resilience, courage and hope in extremely difficult conditions.

"These are not just images – these are striking stories about communities that are being rebuilt, about lives that are being restored, about terrible Russian war crimes. The photo exhibition by IMI and UNESCO aims to provide a powerful visual accompaniment to the discussions and decisions adopted at the conference, reminding participants of the human faces behind policies and strategies," said the IMI director.

The Institute of Mass Information (IMI) is a Ukrainian non-governmental media organization that has been operating since 1996. The IMI defends the rights of journalists, analyzes the media field and covers media-related events, fights propaganda and disinformation and has been providing media outlets with safety gear for trips to the combat zone since the start of the Russo–Ukrainian war in 2014.

The IMI carries out Ukraine's only freedom of speech monitoring and keeps a list of high quality and sustainable online media outlets, documents Russia's crimes against the media committed in the course of the war on Ukraine. The IMI has representatives in 20 oblasts of Ukraine and a network of "Mediabaza" hubs to provide journalists with continuous support. The IMI's partners include Reporters Without Borders and Freedom House; the organization is a member of the International Organization for the Protection of Freedom of Expression (IFEX).

Exhibition about Ukrainian cultural sites destroyed by Russia displayed at the Ukraine Recovery Conference. Photos by MIST

Exhibition about Ukrainian cultural sites destroyed by Russia displayed at the Ukraine Recovery Conference. Photo by Kateryna Sereda