Simple Faces of a Complex History: Khotyn Community

April – June 2021 – The Charitable Foundation "Social Resources and Initiatives" implemented the project "Simple Faces of a Complex History: Khotyn Community" with the support of NGO "Lion Society" (Lviv) and funding from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), as well as organizational support from the Khotyn City Council.

Project Goals and Concept

The project aimed to foster a positive perception of shared history and enhance interpersonal and interethnic interactions through the co-creation of a local historical and cultural narrative that would represent the identity of the newly formed Khotyn community.

Residents were invited to explore photographs and personal stories of individuals from the Khotyn community—people who lived in different times, had diverse life paths, but were all united by their love for Khotyn and its surrounding villages.

For both locals and visitors, the photo exhibition provided a unique and previously unknown perspective on the region's shared history.

Key Activities and Project Stages

April 26, 2021 – Training for Cultural and Educational Workers

A remote training session was conducted for:

• Cultural and educational institutions' staff
• Local historians and activists

The training focused on collecting and preparing family stories for the exhibition and calendar. Participants:

• Learned about the Foundation’s previous experiences in similar initiatives.
• Acquired practical skills in compiling personal histories.
• Discussed methodological and ethical considerations in gathering personal narratives.

The training was led by Levko Dovhan, an expert in adult non-formal education, particularly in community engagement and social cohesion. Participants also contributed suggestions about notable community members whose stories could be included in the upcoming exhibition and calendar.

Collection and Selection of Stories

Following the training, the collection of personal histories began.

• Total stories collected: 30 from various settlements in the community.
• Final selection: 25 stories (5 excluded due to lack of photographs or insufficient narrative content).
• Editing and formatting: All selected stories were adapted to align with the Foundation’s previous exhibition formats.

Creation of a Promotional Calendar

To further highlight the personal narratives, a promotional calendar was designed, featuring 12 carefully selected photographs based on:

• Artistic quality of the images
• Relevance of the stories in a modern context (e.g., a photo of a community resident, an officer and participant in the Ukraine-Russia war).

Print run: 300 copies

Distribution: Began during the exhibition opening in Khotyn

June 29, 2021 – Opening of the Photo Exhibition

The official opening took place at Khotyn’s Central Square, attended by:

• Serhiy Hakman (Charitable Foundation "Social Resources and Initiatives")
• Nataliya Filyak (Director of the Chernivtsi Regional Universal Scientific Library)
• Nataliya Nechayeva-Yuriychuk (Associate Professor, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Chernivtsi National University)
• Community residents and guests

Interactive format: Visitors shared memories and additional details about the featured individuals.

City Mayor’s statement: Emphasized that this was Khotyn’s first-ever historical photo exhibition of this kind.

Exhibition Continuation

The exhibition was later relocated to the Khotyn Public Library, where it remains available for public viewing.

Project Video Presentation: