Literary treasures in focus: Antitext” exhibition in Frankfurt (Oder)

Literary treasures in focus: Antitext” exhibition in Frankfurt (Oder)

The exhibition “Antitext” opens at the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder) on September 3, 2025. This remarkable exhibition highlights texts by Ukrainian authors and cultural workers who suffered during Soviet repression. Organized by the Kharkiv Ukrainian Literary Museum, “Antitext” highlights the works and stories of resistance by Ukrainian writers and addresses the complex relationship between censorship and national identity.

The exhibition will be on display in the foyer of the Gräfin Dönhoff building until September 26th. It is open from Monday to Friday, between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. Interactive elements such as QR codes allow visitors to access texts that have been lost or rediscovered. Particular attention is paid to writers such as Hnat Khotkevych and Oles Honchar, whose works contributed to strengthening Ukrainian language and culture.

Issues of censorship

“Antitext” goes beyond purely literary considerations and also illustrates the influence of censorship and self-censorship on the literary works of Ukrainian authors. The content of the exhibition not only addresses the history of Ukraine, but also the current challenges that have arisen from the Russian war of aggression since 2022. The exhibition originally had to be dismantled on February 24, 2022 when the threat of war became acute. Parts of the collection were subsequently transported to a safe location and efforts to preserve Ukrainian cultural heritage continued.

A central component of the exhibition is the interplay between political persecution during the Soviet Union and the current situation. Soviet literary policy severely inhibited the free development of literary modernism in Ukraine and led to massive censorship of literary works. The exhibition also highlights the far-reaching impact of the loss of texts on cultural memory and Ukrainian identity.

Collaboration and support

The project receives support from numerous international partners and sponsors, including Plarium Ukraine, the Lion’s Club of Wuppertal and the Translator Association Translit e.V. The Kharkiv Literature Museum, founded in 1988, is known for its collection of banned literary artifacts. Many valuable parts of this collection had to be evacuated due to the current war, and the exhibition features images of these documents as well as informative commentary.

The current exhibition “Antitext” asks how the loss of texts and the distortion of the literary canon shape Ukraine’s cultural memory. The exhibition, which covers a longer period of time and delves deeply into Ukrainian literary history, invites visitors to reflect on the complex issues of censorship and identity. The opening took place on May 20, 2025 and was led by Prof. Dr. Julia von Blumenthal and Prof. Dr. Susanne Frank led. Curator Tatiana Igoshiyna gave the opening lecture and planned a comprehensive presentation of archived holdings that make a counter-canon of Ukrainian literature visible.

Those interested have the opportunity to visit the exhibition from Monday to Friday and on Saturday. Admission is free and you can contact the curators via the emails provided.

For further information and details about the exhibition please click on the links: European University Viadrina, Humboldt University of Berlin.