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Andrei Sakharov's Historic Letter to Mikhail Gorbachev.

Based on the recollections of those involved in the events and Sakharov’s own letter to Gorbachev, the author concludes that the decisive role was played by the political will of the new USSR leadership, not by pressure from the West or the death of the dissident Anatoly Marchenko.
Victor Nekrasov: BABI YAR, 45 YEARS.

The article is dedicated to the tragedy of Babi Yar and the subsequent attempts by the Soviet authorities to erase the memory of this event. The author emphasizes how the specifically Jewish character of the tragedy was intentionally suppressed, and the memory of the defenseless victims was replaced by the official narrative of heroism.
Alla Horska: A Return to Roots and the Fight for Freedom

On September 18, 1929, in Yalta, Alla Horska—the soul of the Sixtiers movement, an original painter, a dissident, and a human rights activist—was born into a family of typical Soviet functionaries (though her mother came from a Cossack lineage of wealthy peasants).
Literature and the KGB: The Story of One Fate

This essay is dedicated to the life of the poet Marlena Rakhlina, a prominent representative of the Kharkiv literary scene, whose life and work were subject to constant pressure from the KGB. The text reveals the story of her development, the dramatic ordeals she faced, the censorship bans, and the resilience that allowed her to preserve her poetic voice in the face of repression and political persecution.
The Scale of Soviet Political Terror. A Study by the Memorial International Association.

The long-standing debate on the scale of the terror is more often based on intuitive notions about political terror during the Soviet era than on primary sources. A wide variety of figures are cited in this debate—from 2–3 million to 40–50 million victims—which we present here.
In Memory of Ihor Kalynets

On June 28, Ihor Kalynets — a poet, a dissident, and a political prisoner of the communist regime—passed into eternity. Volodymyr Marmus, a member of the Supervisory Board of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union (UHHRU), was present at the farewell ceremony in Lviv. In his eulogy, Mr. Marmus shared warm memories of Ihor Myronovych, with whom he spent two years in the Ural camps.
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Museum Guide
Events

A chronicle of memorable contemporary events and key events of the past related to human rights violations in Ukraine. The section contains reports of repressions, acts of violence, trials and other significant incidents, documenting them to preserve historical memory and draw attention to human rights issues. The materials in the section are structured chronologically and thematically, which allows users to follow the development of events and understand the context of what is happening.

Dissidents

The section contains over 390 biographies of participants in the human rights resistance to the Soviet regime. These materials cover representatives of the Ukrainian national movement, the general democratic resistance, religious communities, the movement for freedom of emigration and the protection of social rights. Each biography reveals the life path, beliefs, forms of protest, repression, and contribution to the struggle for human rights. The section is structured into thematic groups, which allows us to trace the diversity of forms of resistance and to understand the personal stories of the dissident movement participants.

Organisations

This section presents a detailed panorama of the structures that played a key role in the dissident movement in Ukraine. It covers more than 25 organisations, including the Ukrainian Helsinki Group, Crimean Tatar Initiative Groups, Creative Youth Clubs and others. Each organisation is presented with a description of its activities, documents and archival materials, which allows for a deeper understanding of their contribution to the struggle for human rights and national self-determination. This section is a valuable resource for researchers, students and anyone interested in the history of the human rights movement in Ukraine.

Interviews

The "Interviews" section of the Kharkiv Human Rights Group's virtual museum contains more than 190 interviews with members of the dissident movement, human rights defenders, lawyers and researchers. These interviews reveal personal stories of resistance, repression, moral choices and the struggle for human rights under the Soviet system. The materials cover different periods - from the 1930s to the late 1980s - and highlight both national and regional aspects of resistance. The section is a valuable source of oral history that preserves the living voices of witnesses of the era.

Works by dissidents

The section is a unique collection of the intellectual heritage of the Ukrainian dissident movement. It contains more than 200 digitised documents, including analytical articles, journalistic essays, philosophical reflections, open letters, and literary works. These materials reflect the depth of thought, moral stance and cultural identity of the authors who opposed Soviet totalitarianism. The section is structured by topic and author, which makes it easier to navigate and contributes to a deeper understanding of the ideological foundations of the human rights movement in Ukraine.

Recollections

The section is a valuable collection of personal testimonies of participants in the Ukrainian dissident movement. These memoirs - autobiographical texts, memoirs, diaries, and essays - reflect individual experiences of resistance, repression, imprisonment, and moral choices under Soviet totalitarianism. The authors include well-known figures such as Vasyl Lisovyi, Vasyl Ovsiienko, and others. The material in this section allows you to dive deeper into personal stories. This section is an important source of oral history that keeps alive the memory of the struggle for human rights in Ukraine.

Poll

This section contains the answers of former dissidents and human rights defenders to a list of topical questions concerning their views on key historical events in Ukraine. This format allows us to compare the views of different members of the human rights movement on the past, present and future prospects of society. The materials in this section reveal the depth of personal beliefs, moral guidelines and civic position of people who played a significant role in the fight for human rights. The section is an important source of reflection on the history of resistance and the values that shaped Ukrainian civil society.

Research

The Articles section of the virtual museum of the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group contains analytical materials on the history of the dissident movement, human rights violations and the development of human rights thought in Ukraine. These studies are based on archival documents, testimonies of movement participants and other sources, which allows for a deeper understanding of the context and consequences of events related to the struggle for human rights. The section is a valuable resource for researchers, students and anyone interested in the history of the human rights movement and its impact on contemporary Ukrainian society.

KHPG archive

The section contains photographs and scanned documents available in the collections of the Kharkiv Human Rights Group. These materials show the scale of Soviet repressions, the chronicle of human rights activities, the conditions of detention of political prisoners, correspondence with the authorities and international organisations, as well as the daily struggle of dissidents for human dignity. The archive complements other sections of the museum, providing visual and documentary evidence that helps to better understand the history of resistance to the totalitarian regime and the development of the human rights movement in Ukraine.

Glossary

This section is a reference resource that explains key terms, concepts and abbreviations related to the history of the dissident movement and human rights activities in Ukraine. It helps users to better understand the context of events, phenomena and structures described in the museum's materials. The glossary is a useful tool for researchers, students, and anyone interested in the history of resistance to Soviet totalitarianism and the struggle for human rights.



KhPG projects

Documenting war crimes in Ukraine

The global T4P (Tribunal for Putin) initiative was created in response to Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine in February 2022. The participants of the initiative document events that have signs of crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes) in all regions of Ukraine.

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KhPG projects

Human rights in Ukraine

Information portal of the Kharkiv Human Rights Group. The site publishes current information about the activities of the organisation, news reports, analytical articles, special projects, monitoring data on events and phenomena related to human rights in Ukraine.

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