Russian War Crimes House now open in Davos

23rd May 2022, Davos, Switzerland: Today the official opening of the Russian War Crimes House took place at the occasion of the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. The project, organized by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation and PinchukArtCentre in partnership with the Office of the President of Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers is located in the former Russia House at Davos. It is designed to help bring the horrific reality of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine to the attention of the world.

Speaking at the opening, Victor Pinchuk, founder of the Victor Pinchuk Foundation, said: “When we tried to build the Babyn Yar Memoria in Kyiv as a memorial for the mass murder of German Nazis against Ukrainian Jews, it was with the dream that nothing like that would ever happen again - ‘Never Again.’ But since 24th of February this year, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we have seen a Russian genocide against Ukrainians. ‘Never Again’ did not work. 

But while the truth about the Babyn Yar tragedy was hidden, first by German Nazis and then by Soviet Russians, now we see this genocide online. The killers know we see, and if we tell the story as loudly as possible, maybe it will stop some of them, maybe it will save some lives, maybe it will encourage politicians around the world to send weapons and to impose more severe sanctions. We don’t need ‘Never again’ in the future, we need ‘Stop Now!’ right today. It is a responsibility of the private sector to help tell these stories and that’s why we are here in Davos.”

Andrii Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said: “Today’s event is very important. The world should know the truth. Home. What is home? A place where you are well and safe, where your wishes come true, home is future, where your children grow, home is the universe, a place where the journey begins. My country, Ukraine, my home, is at war. A force of butchers, rapists and murderers brought it to us, they look like humans, but their actions deprive them of the right to be called human. This should be said directly and clearly. The truth must be told. The name of what was once the Russian House in Davos is not just symbolic, it’s just, it’s fair, for it is exposing Russia’s worldview.” 

These opening speeches were followed by others delivered by the Mayors of some of the cities that saw mass killings and terrible suffering during the Russian invasion, Anatolii Fedoruk, Mayor of Bucha, Ivan Fedorov, and Mayor of Melitopol. Among speakers were also Iryna Venediktova, Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Egils Levits, President of Latvia, Liudmyla Denisova, Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, and Oksana Kyrsanova, a doctor from Mariupol, who told her personal story of working under conditions of siege in Mariupol, describing unimaginable horrors she saw whilst working to save innocent Ukrainians, and her wish to go back to her home and rebuild her city and her life.

Open until 26 May, the exhibition includes a video work by Oleksiy Sai which begins with a statement from President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, and photographs by Mstyslav Chernov, Philip Cheung, Maxim Dondyuk, Pavel Dorogoy, Efrem Lukatsky, Mikhail Palinchak, Petro Sazonov, Yevhenii Zavhorodnii, as well as a map of verified Russian War Crimes in Ukraine, and audio clips of Russian soldiers calling home and sharing some of the atrocities they committed. 

Attendees of the World Economic Forum will be able to see evidence, and hear the stories of some of the victims, providing real insight into the pain and devastation caused by Russia and, more importantly, the true strength of the Ukrainian people and their identity. 

Russian War Crimes House is a private side venue complementing the official participation of Ukraine in WEF, as well as Ukraine House, and other private events by Victor Pinchuk foundation and others. 

Russian War Crimes House can be found at Promenade, 68, 7270 Davos Platz, Switzerland. 

Special thanks to the Media Initiative for Human Rights.

Website: russianwarcrimeshouse.org

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