Report from Kyiv. Photos from Russian War in Ukraine (by Olena Shovkoplias) at Hunter College

November 17, Thursday, 7 pm. Hunter College, Elizabeth Hemmerdinger Center, Room 706, Hunter East Bldg. In-person, with proof of vaccination. RSVP required.

Photo exhibition from the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War (Kyiv), with comments by Prof. Susan Smith-Peter, Maria Genkin (Razom for Ukraine), and Hunter College students.  Co-sponsored by the Shevchenko Scientific Society, Razom for Ukraine, and the Ukrainian History and Education Center.

Hunter College Library will host an exhibit from the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War, located in Kyiv. This exhibit consists of photos taken on March 8, 2022, and builds on their earlier work documenting the Russian-Ukrainian war in the Donbas region, which began in 2014. The posters show the inhuman grip of the Russian invasion and how the boundaries between war and peaceful life were erased. It shows both the destruction of the war and the resilience of the Ukrainian people, who stood up as a whole to defend their state and culture.

Born and raised in Lviv, Maria Genkin attended the Lvivska Polytechnica. In the summer of 1994, she received a scholarship from the Ukrainian American Business and Professionals Association to attend the summer school at HURI (Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute). The following summer, Maria came back to the United States on a scholarship from Cornell University. Maria started her professional career at Goldman Sachs. After her son, Aaron, was born in 2004, she left Goldman Sachs and since pursued a variety of projects in education and culture. Maria has been deeply involved with Razom since 2017 and has been on the board since 2020. She currently leads Razom Donations and Grants Teams and continues to serve on the board.

Susan Smith-Peter is Professor of History and Director of the Public History program at the College of Staten Island of the City University of New York. For more than 20 years, she has studied the history of Russian journalism and civil society.  Since the invasion, she has dedicated herself to helping the public understand the origins of Putin’s genocidal war in Ukraine.  Working with the World War Two Museum and ThoughtMatter, a leading design firm in NYC, she oversaw the creation of the posters in the exhibit.

Ren Chalpin is 25 years old, born and raised in Switzerland, a senior student at Hunter College, majoring in psychology and history. Ren be talking about  experiences as an NGO humanitarian volunteer in Ukraine from mid-April through mid-August and also  about personal connections to Ukraine, travels, struggles/difficulties faced, and important events that were witnessed.

Directions: At the reception desk of the Hunter West Building, please present your ID and proof of vaccination to get a pass. From there, take the escalator to the 3rd floor, turn right and walk across the sky bridge to the Hunter East Building, then take the elevator to the 7th floor. Hemmerdinger Center is at the end of the hallway past the turnstiles. CUNY policy states that to enter the campus, visitors are required to show proof of either full vaccination or a negative PCR test within seven days of their intended visit date. Everyone MUST complete the Cleared4 Access Process, where they will be asked to upload a photo of their vaccination card or a negative test result. The Cleared4 Access Process can be accessed here. We recommend that you complete this process prior to your visit in order to avoid a delay in entering the campus.