IHME Helsinki and Ukrainian Association in Finland in Cooperation

IHME Helsinki and the Ukrainian Association in Finland are collaborating on the marketing and communications for artist Zhanna Kadyrova’s IHME Helsinki Commission 2025.

Ukrainians in Finland are a special target group for the Commission, so cooperation with the Association is important for reaching them. Since the Russian war of aggression, approximately 76,000 Ukrainians have been granted temporary protection in Finland. During 2024, 13,000 Ukrainians received permanent residence permits.

Symbol of hope and Ukrainian contemporary art for the audiences

“Experiencing a new work by Zhanna Kadyrova here in Helsinki feels both deeply personal and symbolically powerful. Zhanna’s art captures the complex emotions of displacement, resilience, and hope — themes that resonate strongly with Ukrainians in Finland, many of whom have been forced to leave their homes because of the war. Showing Ukrainian art in this context is not only an act of cultural preservation, but also one of visibility and dignity. It reminds the wider public that Ukrainian voices are alive, creative, and evolving, even in the face of aggression and destruction. We are honoured to be part of this collaboration with IHME Helsinki and to be helping bring Ukrainian contemporary art to broader audiences in Finland,”

says Vassili Goutsoul, Chair of the Ukrainian Association in Finland.

The Ukrainian Association in Finland was founded in 1997 to unite and represent Ukrainians living in Finland, and to preserve the achievements of Ukrainian culture. The Association organises cultural and sports events, and offers advice and Ukrainian language lessons.

‘I am really glad that we can cooperate with the Ukrainian Association in Finland. The Russian war of aggression in Ukraine that began in 2022 has had a major impact on Europe and Finland. As a result of the attack, Finland has, for instance, joined NATO, speeded up its green transition in energy and electricity production, and taken in Ukrainian refugees. Flooding, forest fires and droughts caused by extreme weather mean that the environmental crisis is causing suffering and destruction like that caused by wars. Just as we have to know how to mitigate climate change and adapt, we have to show our support and work for peace in Ukraine and other conflict zones. In the artworld, we can create and strengthen links and cooperation, and thus take action for peace,”

says Paula Toppila, Executive Director and Curator of IHME Helsinki.

Kadyrova has just received the Shevchenko National Prize for Fine Arts in Ukraine, the first woman to do so in two decades. She is also a recipient of the new Her Art Prize in France. Kadyrova’s commissioned artwork will be realized at the Voimala Museum, near Vanhankaupunginkoski, Helsinki, in August-September 2025. In it Kadyrova focuses on water bodies and energy infrastructures, via which she explores the effects of both “progress” and conflict on life-support systems. Also present here is the hope that arises from the ability of other species’ ecosystems to sustain life.

How to support Ukraine?

The war in Ukraine continues, and post-war reconstruction requires ongoing support. The Association of Ukrainians in Finland provides various ways to support Ukrainians both in Finland and in Ukraine. Donations help fund the delivery of humanitarian aid, the purchase of essential supplies and evacuation vehicles, and the integration of Ukrainian refugees into Finnish society.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version), edit by SM + MG