Exhibition “Antitext”
The German-language exhibition “Antitext” has opened in Salzburg, presenting a powerful project by the Kharkiv Literary Museum dedicated to preserving Ukrainian literary memory — a memory that has long been subjected to censorship, repression, and destruction.
The exhibition was made possible through a partnership with the Department of Slavic Studies at the University of Salzburg, which acted as the host and provided an academic and public platform for presenting Ukrainian cultural heritage. We express our sincere gratitude to the department for its professional support, strong engagement, and genuine interest in Ukrainian culture.
“Antitext” tells the story of the rescue of the Kharkiv Literary Museum’s collection after 24 February 2022. In the first weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion, part of the museum team managed to dismantle the permanent exhibition and evacuate books, manuscripts, rare editions, photographs, and archival documents from the heavily bombarded city. Today, the collection remains hidden in a safe location, while the museum continues its work to preserve and research a cultural heritage once again under threat.
A significant focus of the exhibition is on Ukrainian literature from the 1920s and 1930s — works by authors who were persecuted or physically eliminated by the Soviet regime. Their writings were banned, locked away in special archives, or destroyed altogether. By presenting these materials today, “Antitext” restores silenced voices and offers new ways of engaging with a suppressed literary past.
We also thank the University of Salzburg for its openness and commitment to strengthening cultural dialogue between Ukraine and Europe. “Antitext” continues its international journey, and we are pleased that Salzburg has become an important stop along this route.
