On May 9, 10, and 11, 2025, the Unveiled Ukraine project was presented at the Oodi Central Library in Helsinki, in partnership with the Ukrainian Association in Finland.
The vernissage took place in the presence of MEP Mrs. Sirpa Pietikäinen and Vasyl Goutsoul, Chairman of the Ukrainian Association in Finland.
This edition of the exhibition held special meaning, as the Ukrainian Association in Finland organized a series of lectures and discussions in both English and Ukrainian. These accompanying events brought the project to a deeper level of reflection and public engagement. Over the course of three days, the exhibition became not only a cultural event but also a platform for dialogue, memory, and solidarity.
The days were intense and emotionally charged: alongside the lectures and discussions, the exhibition welcomed numerous visitors — locals, Ukrainians, and international guests.
Many of them shared personal stories, asked thoughtful questions, and expressed their support — reminding us once again how deeply this war resonates far beyond Ukraine’s borders.
The speakers addressed the following topics:
War Refugees: An Essential Dimension of European Memory Culture
Professor Henrik Meinander, University of Helsinki
The Fate of Karelian Evacuees
Professor Martti Talja, Chairperson of the Finnish Karelian League
Language as a Carrier of Memory and Identity: The Role of Ukrainian During War and Displacement
Mariia Zhyhurt, teacher of Ukrainian language and culture at Tampere Summer University, volunteer at the Ukrainian Association in Tampere
Ukrainian Plast in the National Liberation Struggle of Ukraine
Oleksandr Kostiuk, volunteer, Plast in Finland
The Ukrainian Helsinki Group in the Fight for European Values
Oleksandr Yarotskyi, history teacher, volunteer at the Ukrainian Association in Finland
The Threat of Finlandization
Oleksii Prykhodko, translator, Chairman of the Ukrainian Association in Forssa
The Role of the Ukrainian Language During World War II and the Full-Scale Invasion in 2022
Mariia Zhyhurt, teacher of Ukrainian language and culture at Tampere Summer University, volunteer and board member of the Ukrainian Association in Tampere
The exhibition reveals the true face of war — shattered lives, destroyed cities, and lost worlds.
Through powerful visual imagery and authentic testimonies, Unveiled Ukraine opens a dialogue about pain, loss, human rights violations, and the inhumane violence inflicted upon Ukraine.
It is a project of memory and truth — one that deeply resonates with Ukraine’s present-day reality.
