The echoes of history are stark. In 1945, Europe emerged from the most destructive conflict in its history determined to build peace through cooperation, human rights, and education. In 2025, as Ukrainians continue to defend their sovereignty and democratic path, that same struggle for liberty and justice is playing out in real time - under fire.
During a two-day visit in Ukraine – a member state of OHTE since June 2024 - the OHTE delegation met high-level representatives of the Ukrainian government as well as heads of several institutes dealing with history education and remembrance.

I would like to thank the OHTE for its position and support for Ukraine. It is very important for us to understand what Europe and Europeans know about Ukrainian history, and how it is presented in European textbooks. We see the Observatory as a platform that can help Ukraine and Europe work together on learning and teaching of history, which today is often a source of tension due to historical manipulation.” stated Oksen Lisovyi, Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine during the meeting.  

Historical education is not just about the past. It's about how society forms values, understands itself, learns to counter misinformation, and makes responsible decisions. The University has always been and will always be a space for critical thinking. We are grateful to OHTE and the Council of Europe for the support and will continue to work to make the Ukrainian experience an integral part of the European educational landscape" stated Volodymyr Bugrov, Rector of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. 

The OHTE delegation had the opportunity to visit several institutions and sites, reinforcing its cooperation  through agreements with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Hryhorii Skovoroda University in Pereiaslav, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and Mariupol State University.
The delegation also had the unique opportunity to visit many emblematic remembrance sites and important state institutes, including the National Museum of the Holodomor-Genocide, the National preserve "Kyiv-Pechersk lavra", the State Archive Service, the Sophia of Kyiv National Conservation Area and the Revolution of Dignity Museum.
Additionally, the delegation took part in the launch of a new exhibition of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in World War II in the presence of Mykola Tochytskyi, Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine:

The generation of World War II participants is passing away, but the loss of living memory must not become an opportunity to fill the gaps with falsehoods, as Russia is trying to do today. This is a major professional and ethical challenge for historians, museum workers, artists, writers, and scholars in Ukraine and Europe — to preserve truthful memory and a shared sense of responsibility for peace”. stated the Minister in his speech.

We are here to show that we stand with those who defend the same values Europe fought for in 1945: freedom, democracy and human dignity" said Dimitris Sotiropoulos, Chair of the OHTE Governing Board, framing these visits as a gesture of solidarity, of historical awareness, and of commitment to these values that remain as urgent now as they were eight decades ago.

OHTE’s presence in Kyiv on these symbolic dates underscores a key understanding: history is not only about the past, it also shapes how we understand the present. In times of war and disinformation, the integrity of history education becomes a democratic imperative. When historical narratives are manipulated to justify aggression, the task of teaching history with rigour, plurality and empathy takes on an even higher importance.

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