YILLAR VE YOLLAR Exhibition Opens in Kyiv to Showcase Crimea's Heritage

On February 25, at 17:30, the Crimean House in Kyiv will host the opening of the YILLAR VE YOLLAR photo exhibition of old photographs of Crimea.

According to the organizers of the exhibition, the NGO CrimeaSOS, the YILLAR VE YOLLAR exhibition helps to restore the peninsula by showingthe real Crimea of the early 20th century and forming a true image of the peninsula as opposed to the one distorted by propaganda.

"From portraits to genre scenes, from mountain landscapes to the streets of cities and villages, YILLAR VE YOLLAR reflects the culture and life of the Crimean Tatars through photography. The vast majority of the photos date from the period between 1900 and 1925," the organizers note.

The meanings embedded in the project are not only about collective memory, but also about personal stories, including homesickness and the desire to maintain a connection with their native land.

"11 years ago, I started my journey from Crimea - a difficult, unwanted, unplanned departure to the mainland of Ukraine due to the Russian occupation of the peninsula. Leaving a piece of my heart in Yalta, I took photos with me to illustrate my memories of a small part of the life of this blessed land. But for 11 years now, I have been walking a different path - the path of returning to Crimea. And today, on this path, contemplating the YILLAR VE YOLLAR exhibition, I feel the spirit, history and life of our peninsula and plan to return home..." - says Mila Shevchenko, co-coordinator of the NGO CrimeaSOS.

Entrance to the photo exhibition YILLAR VE YOLLAR is free. During the opening of the exhibition, everyone will be able to join the action "Letters to a free Crimea" and write a letter to the Crimean political prisoners.

Recently, a unique exhibition dedicated to Russia's environmental crimes in Ukraine was held at the University of Berkeley in the United States. The organizers presented evidence of ecocide: photos and videos collected on the Svidok.org platform, where Ukrainians can document the environmental consequences of the war.

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