To mark the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism, Ukrinform is hosting an exhibition of archival photographs “Kyiv during World War II: Destruction and Reconstruction”.
The exhibit contains photos dating back to 1944 from the unique archive of Ukraine’s National Information Agency Ukrinform that have not previously been shown to the public.
“Today, the capital of Ukraine is going through numerous Russian air strikes. The Russians are not the first to be destroying Kyiv, and neither it is happening for the first time. During World War 2, eighty years since the end of which is marked this year, the Hitler and Stalin regimes did this, too. The city has been rebuilt from ruins but many unique buildings were lost. “The photos from the Ukrinform archive show how extensive the destruction of Kyiv, including Khreshchatyk, was,” said Ukrinform Director General Serhiy Cherevatyi.
He recalled that the historical center of Kyiv was destroyed in two stages: during the retreat of Soviet troops from the city and the German occupation and the subsequent liberation.
As a result of the fighting during World War 2, many historical and administrative buildings, industrial enterprises, and residential buildings were either destroyed or damaged.
The restoration of Kyiv was a grandiose and complex process that required enormous efforts and resources. It began in the spring of 1944 with the dismantling of rubble, joined by many city residents and those from the surrounding villages, including students, servicemen, and prisoners of war.
The restoration of Khreshchatyk was completed in 1956 as the street was widened to 75 meters instead of the pre-war 35. However, the new appearance – “Stalin’s Empire” style – was not much like the pre-war one.
The exhibition is open on 8/16 Bohdanf Khmelnytskoho Street in Kyiv.
Source: On May 8, Ukrinform opens exhibit of archival photographs of post-war Kyiv
