ArmyInform, 10.05.2023
The historical and educational charity event “Portal through the Centuries: Ukrainian Army” was held in the city of Bohuslav, Kyiv region. The Centre for Military History Research of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was one of the organisers of the “Portal”, which combined the past and present of the Ukrainian army, dedicated to the Infantry Day.
Artem Papakin, PhD in History, a serviceman of the Centre for Military History Research of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, told ArmyInform about the main goal and objectives of the event, its implementation and significance.
– Who initiated the event, and how did the idea of it come about?
– The event was a joint initiative of the public and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Volunteer organisations in Bohuslav have experience in holding charity events involving musical performers and NGOs, and we, the military personnel of the Centre for Military History Research of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, have already gained some experience in holding exhibitions, involving re-enactors, artists, musicians, etc. This allowed us to join forces for the combined fight against russian propaganda aimed against our history, against our Armed Forces, and to promote the history of the Ukrainian army and historical traditions in the modern Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The event brought together historians, local lore experts, military personnel, and volunteers, and attracted many visitors. The idea was to showcase the history of the Ukrainian army and demonstrate that today’s defenders of Ukraine are fighting not only for our independence, but also for our history, something the enemy seeks to take away from us. In this way, we promote national and patriotic education and popularise the history of the Ukrainian army, showing the continuity from Rus’ and the Cossacks to the modern Armed Forces of Ukraine.
– Why did you choose Bohuslav as the location for the opening of the “Portal”, which unites the past and present of the Ukrainian army?
– Mainly because here, in Bohuslav, we have the human resources for a successful event, i.e. a team that can organise such events on a volunteer basis. In times of war, the Armed Forces of Ukraine cannot spend significant resources on things that are not directly related to combat operations, and the volunteers from Bohuslav helped us a lot. Due to their efforts, we were able to mount exhibition projects, stages, locations for guests and partners, organise activities for children and everything else that made the Portal Through the Centuries event a rich and fascinating experience. The role of Andriy Humeniuk, who used to be the director of the Museum of the History of Bohuslav Region until 2022 and currently is a serviceman in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, was important. He acted as a link between the volunteers and the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The fact that Bohuslav is a historical place also played an essential role in the event. It is a city that has existed since the times of Kyivan Rus’, when it had defensive functions. In the mid-17th century, Bohdan Khmelnytsky’s army was based here, and the hetman chose Bohuslav Castle as his temporary residence in 1648. The events of the War for Ukrainian Independence of 1917-1921 took place here. In particular, in 1919, during the Medvyn Uprising, Bohuslav was temporarily liberated from the bolsheviks. This means that the city took part in key events of Ukrainian history, which, naturally, could not be ignored during the event.
This was the first time we took part in organising such an event in Bohuslav, and it was the first time we showed reconstructions of Ukrainian troops from past eras, but the event was extremely popular. If other communities are interested in such events, we may also consider organising something similar in other cities of Ukraine in the future.
– Who was the partner of the Centre for Military History Research of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in organising the event?
– The main organisers of the event “Portal through the Centuries”, our partners, were the Bohuslav Volunteer Headquarters and the “Around Us. UA” NGO. They undertook most of the organisation, inviting participants, preparing the venue, and a lot more. We also cooperated with educational institutions: Kyiv Vocational College with Enhanced Military and Physical Training, Ivan Bohun Kyiv Military Lyceum, Bohuslav School of Arts and Ivan Nechuy-Levytskyi Bohuslav Humanitarian College.
Members of the military history re-enactment clubs helped a lot with their participation: “Rosychi”, “Pechersk Sotnya of the Kyiv Registered Regiment”, “Legion of the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen (USR)”, “Independent Ukraine”, “The Living History”, “Under the Sign of the Eagle”, and “172nd Regiment”. They came to Bohuslav from Kyiv, Vinnytsia, and Kropyvnytskyi to show replicas of historical clothing, weapons, and everyday life from the times of Rus’ and the Cossacks, as well as uniforms and weapons of the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen, the Army of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army.
The reenactments were extremely popular with visitors. Without them, the event would have been impossible. The Museum of the History of Bohuslav Region, the “Pavuchky” net club, which weaves camouflage nets and kikimoras for soldiers, and numerous musicians also played a major role in the success of the event: the bandura ensemble “Vyshnevyi Tsvit”; the bands “Vyshnevyi Tsvit”, “Harmonia”, “Kolyada”, “Boguslavka”, “Svyatoslav”, “Shpylyasti kobzari”; individual performers and the Theatre Initiative of Volunteers. Bohuslav-FM radio station helped broadcast information about the event.
– As part of the event, the Centre for Military History Research of the Armed Forces of Ukraine presented the exhibition project “Modern Army through the Perspective of the Past”. Would you please comment on this project?
– Our exhibition project is dedicated to the brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine that have honorary historical names. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are fighting a defensive war, relying not solely on military means, but also on a strong ideological basis. We remember the traditions of the Ukrainian army of past eras, which fought for the same ideals as the soldiers of today: for an independent Ukraine.
Today’s Armed Forces have brigades, specialised centres, educational institutions, battalions, and warships with honorary names that remind us of the true origins of the Ukrainian army. During the war for Ukraine’s independence in 1917-1921, for example, military units named after Cossack hetmans fought for Ukraine’s freedom. The Ukrainian Cossacks, in turn, turned to the traditions of Rus’ statehood.
Today, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are increasingly using the historical traditions embodied in honorary names: we have units named after Kyivan princes, Cossack hetmans, and prominent figures of the Ukrainian Revolution. Therefore, our exhibition is dedicated to these military units, which are fighting for the freedom of Ukraine just like their predecessors a century ago. This shows the connection between generations of fighters for Ukraine’s independence.
– What are some other notable events that took place during the “Portal”?
– The programme was extremely rich, it is hard to list everything. An essential part of the event was a historical lecture centre, which also covered pages of the history of the Ukrainian army, such as the organisation of the army of the first Kyivan princes (which I spoke about), the Cossack army of Bohdan Khmelnytsky (a lecture was delivered by Oleksandr Kharchenko, a reenactor and researcher from the Pechersk Sotnya Society of the Kyiv Registered Regiment), the Medvyn Uprising of 1919-1923 (Maryna Hohulia, co-founder of the “Medvyn. Uprising” educational initiative), the uniforms and weapons of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (presented by Ivan Patryliak, PhD in History, currently an officer at the Centre for Military History Research of the Armed Forces of Ukraine), and the volunteer movement from Cossack times to the present (lectured by Tymur Barotov, People’s Hero of Ukraine and also an officer at the Centre for Military History Research).
In addition, the event had many attractions for children with quizzes, workshops, competitions and entertainment. There were also food courts, exhibitions, presentations, a theatre performance and a rich music programme.
– Who attended the event, and did the residents of Bohuslav find the “Portal through the Centuries: Ukrainian Army” interesting?
The event was immensely crowded. Many residents of Bohuslav came with their children. Everyone was interested in our “Portal”, where you could virtually plunge into the past, seeing the reconstructions of Ukrainian soldiers of bygone eras. As communication with visitors showed, in addition to locals from Bohuslav, there were representatives of the communities of Myronivka, Bila Tserkva, Rzhyshchev, Tarashcha, Pereyaslav and Bucha, as well as visitors from Kyiv.
People were fascinated by the event so much that they did not want to leave even after the concert programme finished and some of the participants left. People were viewing the Modern Army Through the Perspective of the Past exhibition even when we were preparing to dismantle it! All this shows us that such military-patriotic and historical-educational events are not only necessary but also popular among the public. We have to know our past because our future depends on it.
