Starting February 24, Berlin will welcome visitors to the new “Ukrainian Museum,” a 300-square-meter exhibition located within the Berlin Story Bunker. The museum chronicles the course of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, offering an immersive and unprecedented look at both military and humanitarian aspects of the war.
The Berlin Story Bunker’s co-founders, Wieland Giebel and Enno Lenze, who have long visited Ukraine as historians and journalists, were deeply involved in the project. In 2022, they successfully sued the Berlin city administration to place a destroyed Russian tank from Bucha in front of the Russian Embassy in Berlin, demonstrating their commitment to public awareness and historical truth.
The museum presents the difficult choices faced by Ukrainians during wartime. As the organisers write:
“War breaks out, and a choice must be made: Do you flee and lose everything? Fleeing means setting off into an unknown future, often with nothing more than a backpack. We tell the story of Julia, who left with two children, a dog, and a guinea pig, not knowing exactly where she was going. Or does one stay? A life in war means sleeping in the safety of the subway, making Molotov cocktails, and experiencing terror. How would you decide if the clock was ticking?”
The exhibition was developed with the active participation of the National Military History Museum of Ukraine (Ministry of Defense of Ukraine) and combines historical documentation with human stories, giving visitors a comprehensive perspective on the ongoing conflict.
According to the organisers, the “Ukrainian Museum” is unlike any other exhibition in Europe, offering both an in-depth look at military operations and a vivid portrayal of civilian resilience and humanitarian challenges.
