Public Organization “After Silence”

The non-government Public Organization After Silence was established in 2021 as an initiative dedicated to the advancement of critical understanding of Ukraine’s past and present. Its activities encompass the domains of memorial culture, public history, and social anthropology, with a focus on the utilization of diverse methodologies, including field research, oral history, digitization of private archives, documentaries, and media presentations.

The non-governmental organization (NGO) "After the Silence" examines the realm of the silenced, encompassing the traumatic experiences of individuals who survived the violence perpetrated by the Soviet Union and the National Socialists (Nazis), as well as the traumatic experiences of those living in the present.

Methods for acquiring archival materials for the organization:

1. Procurement through online auctions
2. Receipt as donations
3. Digitization of private archives.

In the 2021-2022 period, the NGO After Silence undertook the digitization of over 6,000 photographs, letters, and assorted documents from private archives. These materials predominantly pertain to the traumatic events that have marked Ukraine's history in the twentieth century. Under the initiative termed "Preserving and Organizing Private Archives of the Twentieth Century in Ukraine," a total of 561 digitized items from nine private archives were meticulously indexed and documented. Notably, this endeavour received financial support from the Stabilization Fund for Culture and Education 2022, a collaborative funding effort facilitated by the German Federal Foreign Office and the Goethe-Institut.