“Open-Air Memorial Museum” is a future memorial space intended to become a centre for preserving the memory of the events of the full-scale war in the Kherson region: the resistance, the suffering of civilians, the crimes of the occupiers, and the heroism of local residents. Its concept has been developed as an open-air historical site that will preserve and present the memory of the war beyond the walls of a museum building, directly at the locations where the military events took place.
This initiative aims not only to document the facts of the war, but also to create a space for reflection, commemoration of the fallen, and a reminder of the value of independence and freedom, as well as the restoration of the region’s identity.

Historical Background

The village of Bilohirka was founded in 1795. Before the war, its population was 135 people; currently, after de-occupation, 22 residents have returned. The Russian military occupation of the village lasted from 10 March to 12 September 2022.
During Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Bilohirka became one of the key defensive lines on the right bank of the Kherson region. In the summer of 2022, fierce fighting took place near the settlement between units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Russian occupying troops.
A line of contact between Russian forces and the Armed Forces of Ukraine ran near the village. Trenches remain, along with completely destroyed residential buildings, numerous shell casings, and personal belongings left by the occupiers. The area was mined by Russian forces, and demining operations are still ongoing.
On 22 July 2022, Captain Dmytro Serzhan (born 1997), an officer of an air assault unit, was killed near the village.
On 25 July 2022, Lieutenant Ihor Drozdov (born 1981), also of an air assault unit, was killed.
On 23 August 2022, during a tank and artillery attack, serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Vladyslav Palenychka (born 1998) was killed.
On 10 September 2022, after heavy fighting and the use of enemy aircraft, Ukrainian forces broke through the enemy’s defences and regained control of Bilohirka.
On 12 September 2022, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine officially announced the complete liberation of the settlement.
As a result of hostilities, the village suffered extensive destruction — approximately 98 per cent of residential buildings were destroyed. After de-occupation, the community, with the support of volunteers and charitable organisations, began rebuilding housing and restoring infrastructure facilities.

Work Completed in 2025

During 2025, the Kherson Regional Museum of Local History developed the concept of the future Open-Air Memorial Complex.
In the second half of 2025, the final location of the museum was determined — a memorial space within the Velyka Oleksandrivka community of the Beryslav district, Kherson region. The initial proposed site for the Open-Air Memorial Museum had been the village of Zaporizhzhia in the same community; however, due to unresolved legal and property issues concerning destroyed buildings that could not be addressed before the end of the war, an alternative location was selected.
The new location is the village of Bilohirka, Velyka Oleksandrivka territorial community, Beryslav district, Kherson region.
Several visits to the new site were carried out by members of the working group responsible for establishing the Open-Air Memorial Museum.
From 1 October 2025, the Kherson Regional Museum of Local History added to its staff Ms K. V. Babii, a resident of Bilohirka, to conduct on-site work at the museum location. During this period, artefacts from the areas of combat have been collected for the future exhibition. The construction of a museum building is included in the overall memorial complex project.
The project also envisages the construction of a chapel for prayers in memory of the fallen soldiers of Ukraine.
The village head of Bilohirka has provided temporary premises for storing the collected artefacts from the line of contact. The collection of exhibits is ongoing.
A photo and video archive has been created documenting the condition of the museum territory after de-occupation, including trenches, destroyed buildings, and panoramic views of the former line of contact. The archive was created by V. I. Kliutsevskyi, K. Petrenko, and O. S. Honcharova, and continues to be expanded.

In the near future, work is planned to create a video tour of the Open-Air Memorial Museum territory. The next stages of work include:
Collecting and processing information about the military units and combat operations of the two opposing forces;
Recording video testimonies of village residents;
Producing panoramic footage of the terrain with trenches of both armies;
Using the photo and video archive created in 2025;
Writing the script and recording voice-over narration;
Editing with narration and music.

Collection of Testimonies and Materials

In parallel with the museum’s development, and following demining operations, systematic collection of eyewitness accounts, photographs, videos, testimonies, and materials from people who experienced the occupation, the battles for the village, and the consequences of the war is planned. These materials will form the basis of the future exhibition “Living History” in the museum.
The Open-Air Memorial Museum is not only a museum initiative but also a social space of shared memory, giving a voice to those who endured the war and preserving their stories for future generations.
The museum will serve as a tool to counter Russian systems of historical distortion and cultural erosion, while reminding visitors of the resilience and resistance of the people of Kherson during the full-scale invasion.

Relevance of the Project

The importance of establishing the Open-Air Memorial Museum now lies in avoiding the mistakes made in preserving the memory of the Second World War in the Kherson region. After the war, historical artefacts were not properly collected; German tanks and self-propelled guns were removed from battle sites and destroyed. Examples of Soviet military equipment in the region are limited in number. No German military vehicles remain in local museum collections as evidence of the fierce battles for the liberation of Kherson region.
Taking into account past shortcomings and recognising the impact that large-scale artefacts have on visitors’ perception, the Kherson Regional Museum of Local History, with the support of the Kherson Regional Military Administration and the Department for the Implementation of Humanitarian Policy, is taking all necessary steps to establish a modern Open-Air Memorial Museum that will become an important historical testimony to the cruel and senseless war unleashed by the Russian Federation in the twenty-first century.

The creation of “Routes of Memory” has established important locations and necessary commemorative markers for the broader memorialisation of events of the Russian–Ukrainian war in the Kherson region. Together with the Open-Air Memorial Museum, they will form a unified narrative of the heroic resistance of Kherson region in the Russian–Ukrainian war.
In November 2025, the first information stand was opened in Kherson as part of the “Places of Memory” project at Freedom Square — a component of a nationwide initiative honouring the resistance and resilience of people during the occupation.
The Route of Memory includes several key sites: Freedom Square, the Lilac Grove, sites of resistance in Chornobaivka, the former torture chamber in Biliaivka Lyceum, the village of Bilohirka, Kalinindorf station, and others, where information stands with QR codes have been installed to provide access to testimonies, videos, and chronicles.
These “routes” are already effectively functioning as part of the future museum of memory, offering visitors authentic sites connected to the war and occupation.