Exhibition on Azovstal’s undefeated defenders nominated for Estonian museum awards
The joint exhibition by the Estonian War Museum, Vabamu, and the Ukrainian National History Museum, “The Face of Bravery: The Undefeated Defenders of Azovstal,” has been nominated for the Estonian Museum Awards 2025 in the Museum Innovator category.
The exhibition, created in collaboration between the three museums and led by Linda Lainvoo, was on display in Tallinn’s Krull Quarter from May 16 to October 5 last year.
The aim of the exhibition was to show the human face of the war in Ukraine, which tends to be reduced to statistics in the daily news, by presenting the stories of the men and women who were among the last defenders of Mariupol, Ukraine, in the spring of 2022. As Russian forces mercilessly closed in, the fighting concentrated around Azovstal, one of Europe’s largest steel plants, which was a veritable fortress with its network of underground tunnels, where the defenders managed to repel Russian attacks for nearly three months. Azovstal became a symbol of Ukraine’s courage, tenacity, and unbreakable resistance.
The exhibition invited visitors to look fearlessly into the face of danger alongside the defenders of Azovstal and not to give up. The story of the heroes was told through personal items, previously unpublished documentary footage filmed during the siege of Azovstal, and Dmytro Kozatskyi’s world-famous photographs.
“The Face of Bravery” was based on the exhibition “Azovstal. New Meanings” and was created as a sign of deep respect and support for Ukraine. All proceeds from ticket sales went to the Ukrainian National History Museum.
The nominees for the 2025 Estonian Museum Awards will be announced on February 12, 2026, in Rakvere.
