The deportation of 18 May 1944 was a severe ordeal for the Crimean Tatar people. One of the consequences of these tragic events was that several generations of Crimean Tatars were not only torn away from their historical homeland, but also deprived of their family archives, photographs, and other relics that for generations had helped preserve family ties, memory, and identity.

During the deportation, families had only a few minutes to gather their belongings and therefore managed to take with them only their most precious possessions. For many, Qurans became those companions that shared with the people the experience of exile and the difficult road of return to Crimea. Despite these hardships, these Qurans were preserved and passed down to subsequent generations together with knowledge of this heritage and its spiritual meanings.

The exhibition project «Quran-i Kerim: The Holy Quran» presents 12 documented family stories told through 12 sacred relics, including Qurans dating from the 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as handwritten notebooks (defters) in which prayers were recorded during deportation. Today, these preserved artifacts are powerful symbols of resilience, faith, and the deep connection of the Crimean Tatar people to their native homeland.

The partner project «Quran-i Kerim: The Holy Quran» is being implemented by the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in cooperation with the Religious Administration of Muslims of Ukraine «Umma» and the Crimean Tatar civic organization «ALEM», with the support of Switzerland and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine. The project harmoniously complements the exhibition «Miras. Heritage», dedicated to the living heritage of the Crimean Tatars.

Address: 21 Ivan Mazepa Street, Building 12 (territory of the National Preserve «Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra»), Treasury of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine. Entrance to the Lavra is through the main gate.

For inquiries: +38 (044) 280-13-96 or +38 (093) 619 70 29 (Viber, Telegram).

Admission to the exhibition is included in the general museum ticket – 200 UAH; for school pupils, students, and pensioners – 100 UAH.