The exhibition “Rockfoils: The Feminine Face of Resistance in Crimea” has opened in Kyiv. Artists Emine Ziyatdinova, Alevtyna Kakhidze, Maria Kulikovska, Liya Dostleva, and Yulia Poe, activists of the women’s resistance movement “Burning Siren,” presented their works at the cultural event inaugurated on February 26, marking the tenth anniversary of resistance against the Russian occupation of Crimea. It is open to the public at the Office of the Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea/Crimea Platform Office in Kyiv until May 13, 2024.
Photo: Emine Ziyatdinova
“This project aims to raise public awareness about the fate of women unjustly imprisoned for supporting Ukraine during the Russian occupation, to honour the moral strength of the companions of political prisoners, as well as those who resist the occupants daily, defending their rights and freedoms. The exhibition aims to show that the resistance of Ukrainians in Crimea continues, despite the high price they pay to confront the occupation regime,” says the press release.
Photo: Maria Kulikovska
The exhibition presents artworks exploring current events in Russian-occupied Crimea and the historical and psychological dimensions of this occupation.
Source: Alevtyna Kakhidze
According to the exhibition curator Tetyana Filevska, “the artistic space created by women artists reveals their own experience of war, as well as that of other women who have experienced or are currently undergoing a similar ordeal. The main focus is on the past decade, primarily on the stories of women who, under occupation, dare to openly fight for their rights and freedoms, who take risks and become political prisoners of the regime of the Russian invaders. Alongside this extreme experience, there are other ways of experiencing the traumatic reality and strategies for coping with the reality beyond the realm of control.”
Source: lomykamin.crimea-platform.org (Artwork: “The Diaries of Sirens in the Occupied Zone. Crimea is Ukraine”)
At the same time, we explore the historical and cultural context of women in the Crimean peninsula to try to understand the causes of evil and to see the sources of vitality and resistance. How do the women of Crimea live their lives on both sides of the front line, and what ways of resistance do they choose? What do Ukrainian women share in common, those who navigate varying circumstances during this equally harsh period for all? How do they survive the occupation and dare to resist? Where does the power of female resistance come from? What nourishes solidarity? How to preserve memory and nurture identity in threatening circumstances? What ultimately drives a woman to sacrifice herself for the future of her homeland, to become a symbol of resistance for future generations? And what role can art play in conditions of existential threat? The exhibition “Rockfoils: The Feminine Face of Resistance in Crimea” seeks to answer these questions, lending a careful ear to the life stories of each woman. These are different experiences that no one can or should compare. All these stories must be expressed and heard without distinction,” explains the exhibition curator.
