On 12 May at 13:00, the information exhibition QIRIM IÇÜN / For Crimea will officially open on Khreshchatyk Street in Kyiv, near the Main Post Office. The event is dedicated to the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Genocide of the Crimean Tatar People, observed annually on 18 May.

The exhibition tells the story of the Crimean Tatars as a community that has endured the 1783 annexation, colonization, deportation, and modern-day occupation, yet has preserved its culture, political tradition, and right to voice. Through personal stories, figures of spiritual resistance, and symbols of national self-awareness, the exhibition fosters a shared sense of memory.

At the same time, it encourages reflection on the historical ties between Crimea and Ukraine — from the Crimean Khanate, which laid the foundation for political continuity, to the tragedies and resistance of the 20th and 21st centuries. Particular attention is paid to illustrating the continuity of Russian repressive policies: from the first annexation of the peninsula in 1783, through the genocide of 1944, to the occupation of 2014. This historical context helps us understand today’s events as a continuation of colonial oppression and offers a chance to rethink the role of Crimea in Ukraine’s future. The exhibition is both an inward journey and an open dialogue with society about who the Crimean Tatars are and why their story is an inseparable part of the Ukrainian political nation.

Speakers at the opening will include Denys Chystikov, Deputy Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea; Refat Chubarov, Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People; Mavile Khalil, journalist and psychologist; and Martin-Oleksandr Kyslyi, lecturer at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and head of the Crimean Studies center — both co-authors of the exhibition’s texts. The event will be moderated by Yevhen Bondarenko, Head of the Information Department of the Mission.

We invite media representatives, the Crimean Tatar community, and all interested guests to attend the opening of the information exhibition QIRIM IÇÜN / For Crimea.

We look forward to seeing you!