The photo exhibition, initiated by the Kyiv City State Administration, invites visitors to have a look into the underground world of the Kyiv and Dnipro metros where time seems to stand still, even though everyday life continues amid the ongoing war. In war-torn Ukraine, the metro is not just a transport infrastructure, but a place of refuge where ordinary Ukrainians try to live their daily lives in completely abnormal conditions in the here and now. Here, train carriages serve as temporary homes and station platforms become improvised schools or concert halls. Children and parents, the elderly, and even four-legged friends and their owners seek shelter here from the bombings. In Ukraine, the metro has become a hospital, an educational institution, a place for prayer, and a temporary home where a new way of life is born amid the rumbling of trains.
- The photographs tell stories of hope and community spirit in the midst of war. The exhibition shows that here in Tampere, we are also following the struggle for survival of our twin city Kyiv in our hearts, says Vapriikki´s exhibition manager Maj Meriluoto.
The exhibition Metro – The Underground Heart of Indomitable Ukraine is on display at Museum Centre Vapriikki from 4 December 2025 to 1 February 2026. The exhibition features texts also in Ukrainian.
