We stand with Ukraine 🇺🇦
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News — Mar 3, 2022
The Stedelijk Museum is shocked by the unjustified attack on Ukraine and how it affects the lives of millions of innocent people. We stand with Ukraine 🇺🇦
Together with other cultural institutions we want to express our sympathy and solidarity, and we’ll keep on doing that.
You can also help by donating to one of the following organizations:
- Joint Aid organizations Giro 555 Action for Ukraine - or donate during your visit at the Stedelijk Museum at the designated Giro 555 donation point
- UNHCR Emergency Aid for Ukraine and surrounding nations
Donate now
Presentation photo series Boris Mikhailov: The Theater of War
In the presentation The Theater of War (2013), Boris Mikhailov documents his surroundings from Charkiv, his home and place of birth. He shows everyday life—including its frequent roughness—in the era of the Soviet Union, the subsequent postcommunist society, and the recent political tensions between Ukraine and Russia that resulted in war this year.
In The Theater of War, Mikhailov arrives at a radical blending of direct and staged photography. The monumental works, referring to historical pieces by 19th-century Russian painters, depict protesters waiting during the occupation of Kyiv’s Maidan square in 2013. These protests resulted from Ukraine’s failed association agreement with the European Union, and led to events such as the fall of Russian-oriented president Viktor Yanukovych. The Russian annexation of Crimea, the conflicts in the east of Ukraine and the current war are direct consequences of this.