On May 21, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine hosted the presentation of the educational project "Diplomacy of Memory". The event was organized in partnership with the National Historical and Memorial Reserve “Babyn Yar” and aimed to strengthen the role of the diplomatic service in preserving historical truth during wartime.
Opening the event, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Sergiy Kyslytsya noted: "Today, when a full-scale war is once again raging in the heart of Europe, we understand that 'never again' is a duty to act. That is why the 'Diplomacy of Memory' project has a practical, hands-on character. It will help us, diplomats, to better understand the meaning of historical events and, most importantly, apply this understanding in our daily work: in international negotiations, in dialogue with partners, in countering Russian disinformation, and in defending truth and justice."
As part of the presentation, a lecture was delivered by Anatoliy Podolskiy, PhD in History, leading researcher at the I.F. Kuras Institute of Political and Ethno-National Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and Director of the Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies. In his presentation titled "The History of the Holocaust in Ukraine: Research, Teaching, Memory. Political Challenges During Russian Aggression and War Against Ukraine", the scholar outlined the threats of historical manipulation actively used by Russian propaganda as a tool of hybrid warfare.
Roza Tapanova, Director of the National Historical and Memorial Reserve “Babyn Yar”, shared examples of projects implemented by the Reserve. She spoke, in particular, about the traveling exhibition "Bakhmut. Faces of Genocide 1942|2022" — one of the initiatives that reflect the Reserve’s approach to working with memory through documentary documentation and art.
"In 1942, Bakhmut, like hundreds of other Ukrainian cities, witnessed Nazi terror. Eighty years later, in 2022, the city was destroyed by the Russian army. Within the framework of the project 'Bakhmut. Faces of Genocide 1942|2022', created in cooperation with the Bakhmut Museum of Local History and the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP), we presented documentary evidence of the crimes of two totalitarian regimes. The exhibition has already been presented in Ukraine — in Kyiv and Lviv — and abroad, in particular at the Ninth Fort Museum in Kaunas. This is just one example of how we try to work with memory — not declaratively, but through facts that can be understood by international audiences and form a basis for meaningful dialogue," said Roza Tapanova.
The "Diplomacy of Memory" project is intended to deepen diplomats’ knowledge of the tragedies of the 20th century, particularly the Holocaust, and to promote the dissemination of a truthful historical narrative in the international context. This initiative is not just an educational format but a strategic step towards shaping a new culture of remembrance, which is especially relevant in the context of Ukraine’s current struggle for its freedom, truth, and future.
In the context of the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation, the fight for Ukrainian identity takes place not only on the front lines but also in the sphere of information policy and historical memory. The goal of the project is to build a foundation for preparing diplomats as carriers of a truthful narrative about Ukraine’s history, especially regarding the genocidal practices of the past and present.