Ukraine is launching an XR exhibition entitled “Chornobyl in War: Lessons in Nuclear Safety,” created for World Nuclear Science Week. The project is being implemented by museum curators, educators, and scientists. In 2025, the exhibition will open simultaneously in 100 schools across the country.
The aim of the initiative is to show Chornobyl not as something that happened in the past, but as an ongoing experience. The exhibition combines historical facts, emotional testimonies and augmented reality technology to teach schoolchildren about the risks of nuclear energy, the role of science and the culture of safety.
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The mixed format allows physics, history, media literacy, and civic education to be combined into one integrated lesson. The posters are supplemented with 3D models, video interviews, and 360° panoramas, accessible through the CHRNBL mobile app. Simply point your smartphone at the image and the exhibition “comes to life” on the screen.
Project curator Marina Stepanska emphasises that the exhibition helps children understand that the word “safety” is not just a slogan, but a culture of action. “Chornobyl taught Ukraine to pay a high price for mistakes, and war taught us not to put off difficult conversations. Our task is to ensure that children have knowledge and experience rather than fear and myths,” she notes.
The Chornobyl in War project was created with the participation of the Slavutych Local History Museum and Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, TV MediaDim media studio, researchers from the National Museum “Chornobyl” and the European Institute of Chornobyl public organisation. The initiative is supported by the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation.
The organisers plan to cover 100 schools in the first stage. Anyone interested can hold an exhibition at their institution until April 2026, when Ukraine will mark 40 years since the Chornobyl accident. To participate, simply print out the posters (submit an application) and place them in the learning space, and the technology will take care of the rest.
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