Telling Stories, Reconnecting People: National Identity Building and the Case of the War Childhood Museum Ukraine

ABSTRACT The article presents an example of how a small, independent cultural institution can contribute to the construction of national identity during wartime. The author focuses on a less‐studied period of the Russo‐Ukrainian War, which lasted from 2014 to 2022. During that time, around 1.5 million people were displaced. While trying to integrate into new communities, they were often met with distrust and even stigmatization. In this situation, it was of utmost importance to facilitate dialogue between people directly and indirectly affected by the war to ensure that Ukrainians gained a better understanding of each other's experiences. The author argues that the Ukrainian office of the War Childhood Museum made a difference in this situation. While Ukrainian museums mostly reflected on the war by focusing on the military, the War Childhood Museum centered its work on civilians. The exhibition was grounded in objects donated by children and young people, as well as interviews recorded with them. This way, the museum team created a space in which civilians directly affected by war felt seen, heard, and respected. Visitors who did not experience the war directly could immerse themselves in a mosaic of stories that genuinely portrayed the war experience from a child's perspective. This helped foster greater coherence and mutual understanding within Ukrainian society.