On December 6, 2024, the Dnipro Art Museum hosted the opening of the exhibition titled “Unseen Force,” aimed at showcasing the power of nonviolent resistance by Ukrainian citizens in the temporarily occupied territories. The exhibition focuses on visualizing the creative forms of resistance demonstrated by Ukrainians in Crimea, Donbas, and other regions affected by Russian aggression.

Yevhen Bondarenko, Head of the Mission’s Information Department, participated in the opening and emphasized the importance of maintaining connections with Ukrainian citizens living under occupation.

A special focus of the exhibition is the theme of women’s resistance, which plays a crucial role in countering the occupation administrations in the temporarily occupied territories. Bondarenko noted that women constitute nearly half of the individuals prosecuted under fabricated charges of so-called “discrediting the Russian army.” This discriminatory policy seeks to suppress active civic engagement and break the spirit of women resisting occupation. Symbolic figures of this resistance include Iryna Danylovych, Iryna Horobtsova, and Halyna Dovhopola.

“Since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, Russia has enforced Article 20.3.3 of the Administrative Code on so-called ‘discrediting the Russian army.’ Over three years, this article has been used in 1,093 so-called ‘court hearings.’ The occupation administration employs this provision as a tool to persecute resisting citizens. It is important to note that almost every second individual unlawfully prosecuted under this article is a woman,” Bondarenko stated.

The exhibition also highlights the issue of the unlawful imprisonment of Ukrainian citizens in the temporarily occupied territories. As of December 6, 2024, Bondarenko reported, the occupation administration is unlawfully detaining 218 Ukrainian citizens, 132 of whom are representatives of the Crimean Tatar people.

Among the exhibition’s key elements is a display from the art project Lomykamin’. Women’s Resistance in Crimea, previously showcased at the Mission. This project includes diaries of activists from the Zla Mavka resistance movement as well as works by renowned Ukrainian artists such as Mariia Kulikovska, Alevtyna Kakhidze, Lіia Dostlieva, Yuliia Po, and Emine Ziiatdinova.

The curators deliberately selected pieces that reflect different periods of resistance over the past decade of occupation. The artworks illuminate the forms of women’s resistance, emphasizing their critical role in preserving national identity, cultural heritage, and the morale of citizens remaining in occupied territories.

The Unseen Force exhibition is more than an artistic event; it is a platform for public dialogue and a reminder that the fight for freedom continues even in the most challenging conditions. The exhibition seeks to strengthen the connection between citizens in Ukrainian-controlled territories and those living under occupation.

“It is critically important for us here in Dnipro, Kyiv, and other regions of Ukraine to maintain our connection with the Crimean Peninsula, to support our citizens and those held unlawfully in Russian captivity. Despite the occupiers’ pressure and attempts to break them, they remain loyal to their state and steadfast in their civic positions,” emphasized Yevhen Bondarenko.