Zone of Seismic Activity: new exhibition in Lviv honors female military personnel

The exhibit "Zone of Seismic Activity," featuring the documentary project by photographer Marysia Myanovska and the VETERANKA Movement, opened in Lviv. Its purpose is to showcase the daily experiences of women soldiers on the front lines, where their personal space, much like a fragile miniature universe, is constantly at risk of collapsing. This reflects the state of any universe engulfed in war. The exhibit will be open for three months at the Memorial Museum of Totalitarian Regimes, also known as the "Territory of Terror."

The VETERANKA Movement reported that.

"Zone of Seismic Activity" is a symbolic name for Ukraine today, where war changes the landscape, destinies, and daily lives of people.

^{Photo: VETERANKA Movement}

This project delves into women's experiences in the combat zone, examining their daily routines and personal spaces, often confined to the size of a car or a corner of a room due to the war conditions. It highlights the relationship between an individual and the land they inhabit, as earthquakes can go unnoticed by people until they reach a critical magnitude that alters the environment.

During the exhibition's opening, a discussion was held on the topic "Transformation of Personal Space: Analysis of Changes in the Perception of Privacy and Security during War." It was attended by:

• Marysia Myanovska (photographer),
• Olha Mukha (curator),
• Olena Apchel (director, military),
• Kateryna Pryimak (leader of the VETERANKA Movement) as a moderator.

The event visitors highly appreciated this discussion.

"This exhibition is about invisible lines of transition. Between temporality and norm, one's own space and loneliness, the intimate and what one wants to tell. About how "the level of tension erases gender differences," but they remain. About space: a dugout, a restroom, a car, a fire, a workplace and a sleeping place, temporary common rooms, personal weapons, and an endless landscape. For the first time on our Colonnade – not terror, but those who oppose it. When I asked visitors who came to the opening: what do you see in these pictures in this space? Strength, – they say. – Strength and tenderness," the curator of the exhibition, philosopher and cultural manager, head of the information and educational department of the Museum "Territory of Terror" Olha Mukha, says.

Marysia Myanovska embarked on two expeditions to the combat zone in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions in October 2023 and also from August to September 2024. During her time there, she documented the experiences of three members of Ukraine's armed forces: Oksana "Ksena" Rubaniak, a platoon commander for unmanned aerial vehicles; Andriana "Malysh" Arekhta, a weapons operator and leader of the VETERANKA movement; and Yuliia "Kuba" Sydorova, a paramedic from the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade.

^{Photo: VETERANKA Movement}

"The problem of stereotypes about women has been, is, and will be. If a soldier has a backache, his comrades understand that he simply got traumatized. But if a female soldier has a backache, it is often attributed to her "weakness." You can deal with this by realizing where you are going and developing algorithms for your behavior, protection, and responsibility. Service in the army is a responsibility, and there is no place for "well, I'm a girl," says the leader of the VETERANKA movement, a weapons operator of Ukraine's armed forces, Andriana "Malysh" Arekhta.

^{Photo: VETERANKA Movement}

"I want this exhibition to give an opportunity to look into the reality of war, which remains out of the focus of the news, and to give an opportunity to see not only the experience that separates civilians and military personnel, but also the feelings, emotions and needs that unite all people. "Except for Rusnia [a derogatory term for Russians – ed.], of course," photographer Marysia Myanovska says.

The photo exhibition will run until February 22, 2025, at the address: Memorial Museum of Totalitarian Regimes "Territory of Terror", 45 H Viacheslava Chornovola Avenue.

For reference:

As of September, there are 68,000 women in Ukraine's armed forces, of which over 48,000 are service members. About 5,000 defenders are performing tasks in the combat zone.

As Rubryka wrote, modern Ukrainian women have long broken all patterns and outdated stereotypes: they fight in the ranks of Ukraine's armed forces, teach children, close training camps for the needs of the army, hold our rear and front, die and live for the future of the country. Despite this, they continue to face prejudice in society.

The Ukrainian Women's Veteran Movement (UWVM), or the "VETERANKA" movement, is working to show society an accurate, truthful image of women in the army and the veteran community. Read more about how in Rubryka's material: "From battlefields to civil life: How VETERANKA movement supports Ukrainian women soldiers and veterans."