Post Bellum – Ukraine is an independent non-governmental organization working in the field of oral history and cultural memory. We document personal testimonies about the events of the 20th and 21st centuries, including the lives of ethnic communities in Soviet times, the history of civic activism and opposition movements in Ukraine during the Soviet era, women’s history, regional histories, struggles against totalitarianism, revolutionary transformations after Independence, and the ongoing experiences of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Our team conducts interviews, creates archival witness profiles, produces documentary films, exhibitions, podcasts, and educational programs to highlight the polyphony of Ukrainian history and make it accessible to wider audiences.
Our mission is to amplify the voices of those often excluded from official narratives and to place the Ukrainian experience within a broader European and global context.
Founded in 2020 as an initiative of the Czech NGO Post Bellum in partnership with the Territory of Terror Memorial Museum, Post Bellum Ukraine was renewed and significantly expanded in 2022 with a focus on oral history documentation and cultural memory preservation. We believe history is not only dates and events, but first and foremost, people — their choices, memories, and dignity. Through interviews, exhibitions, podcasts, and educational programs, we aim to pass on to future generations truths that cannot be silenced and to make Ukrainian voices visible worldwide.
Post Bellum Ukraine contributes to the Memory of Nations archive, one of the largest oral history collections in Europe, containing more than 19,000 testimonies, of which only a few hundred are Ukrainian. Since 2022, we have collected over 250 Ukrainian testimonies from Lviv, Uzhhorod, Odesa, Kyiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Kramatorsk, and we are working to significantly increase their representation.
In our work, we adhere to the principles of human dignity, respect for witnesses, openness, and a culture of dialogue. We cooperate with numerous cultural and media institutions, including Radio Kultura, Post Impreza, Divoche Media, The Ukrainians, Tolerance Space, the Ukrainian Initiative of South Moravia, INDEX, and many others.
Beyond archiving, we see our role in shaping a society that knows how to remember, critically reflect on the past, and build a future based on truth, humanity, and dignity. Our social media community continues to grow steadily. As of now, Post Bellum Ukraine engages an audience of more than 29,000 followers across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, reflecting the rise in public interest in oral history and cultural memory projects since 2022. We are now actively expanding the use of our collected testimonies in educational programs and public media projects, with the goal of engaging young audiences, promoting historical awareness, and fostering critical thinking skills among the young generation.