Mystetskyi Arsenal presents the exhibition Kherson. The Steppe Holds
On Friday, 27 June 2025 at 18:00, Mystetskyi Arsenal will open the exhibition Kherson. The Steppe Holds.
This project is about the Ukrainian South as a space of resilience, love, loss and cherishing a memory. This is a tribute to the Kherson region — the homeland of the exhibition’s authors, Roman Bondarchuk and Darya Averchenko.
The exhibition is based on the films Ukrainian Sheriffs, The Editorial Office, and Volcano, as well as unique archives, video, and photo materials shot in the Kherson region before the full-scale invasion. In particular, those that have not been presented publicly before and have gained special significance in the context of the losses and challenges faced by the region and the country.
The exhibition unfolds across five halls of the Arsenal and also includes a room dedicated to the archival materials of Kherson photojournalist Andriy Matrosov, as well as documentation from the “Ukrainian War Archive”, which records Russian war crimes. The final space of the exhibition invites personal reflection on what has been seen and felt.
Curator: Kateryna Botanova
The exhibition will also feature installations specially designed by the exhibition’s architect Oleksandr Burlaka, video and photo projects, and more than thirty multimedia materials inspired by films.
Anna Pohribna, Deputy Director for Programming at Mystetskyi Arsenal: “At this moment in time, it is especially important for Mystetskyi Arsenal to continue engaging with the concepts that matter most to our society. And one of them is the territorial integrity of Ukraine. We invite visitors to reconsider the Kherson region as a space of deep personal and collective meaning. We believe that this documentary and mystical journey carries a special significance today”.
Yana Barinova, Director Ukraine Programme at ERSTE Foundation: “This exhibition is an attempt to view the South not as a marginalized region, but as a vital point for understanding contemporary Ukraine. This research is like the steppe itself: quiet, vast, windy, and yet full of voices. We must rethink the South not only as a geography of losses, but as a space of strength, imagination, community, and renewal. For me, as someone born in the South, this project is deeply personal. It is a work of grief. And a work of hope”.
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A press tour of the exhibition will take place on opening day, 27 June, at 17:00.
The exhibition will be on view from 27 June to 28 September 2025.
Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 12:00–20:00 (ticket office is open until 19:30).
On 27 June, the exhibition will be open from 18:00 to 21:00.
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The exhibition is organized in cooperation with Art Arsenal Community NGO, with the support of the ERSTE Foundation and the Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine (PFRU), funded by aid from the governments of Canada, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
ERSTE Foundation creates social, economic, and cultural infrastructure and innovation for a changing Europe. We empower initiatives for change and contribute to civil society development and regional progression.
The Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine (PFRU) is a multi-donor programme funded by Canada, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. PFRU’s objective is to strengthen Ukraine’s resilience in the face of Russian aggression by delivering essential support to local communities in collaboration with the Ukrainian government, civil society, and the private sector.
Technical partner: ERGO
Project partners: Art House Traffic, Cambridge.ua, LoraShen
Mediapartner: Suspilne, Suspilne Culture