A powerful oral history project celebrating resilience, community, and connection
Funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players'
Since March 2022, Merseyside has become a place of welcome and refuge for Ukrainians displaced by war. Ukrainian Stories and the Merseyside Connection captures the voices, memories, and experiences of those who sought safety here and of the local people who opened their homes and hearts.
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Funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players'. Ukrainian Stories and the Merseyside Connection was delivered by Whispered Tales in partnership with the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain, Liverpool branch, and Liverpool Central Library.
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Between 2024 and 2025, a team based at Liverpool Central Library recorded 60 oral histories, including:
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40 Ukrainian refugees
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15 local host families
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5 organisations who provided crucial support on arrival
Their stories offer a unique window into a time of upheaval, hope, and human connection. We would like to thank all participants who displayed such resilience, generosity and hope when sharing their stories.
From the oral archive collection Whispered Tales created a public exhibition, that was launched on June 16th 2025 by the Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Councillor Barbara Murray. The exhibition was launched at Liverpool Central Library, and then toured to Wavertree Library and Theatre Porto in Ellesmere Port. It is now touring across the North West.
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Ukrainian Stories and the Merseyside Connection is a striking digital media exhibition, designed to immerse visitors in the lived experiences of those who fled war and found refuge in Merseyside. ​Set within the evocative recreation of a typical Ukrainian apartment block, the exhibition brings the emotional depth of these stories to life through sight and sound. One side of the 2-metre-high central structure features a 70-inch LCD screen, playing a specially produced short film that features interviewees recounting why they were forced to leave their homes, their harrowing journeys and how they were welcomed by the people of Merseyside under the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
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Surrounding this central block are smaller replica apartment blocks each housing headphones where visitors can listen to the short film. The exhibition shares moments of fear, resilience, generosity, and hope, offering an unfiltered glimpse into the refugee experience.
The exhibition is available to be booked please contact info@whisperedtales.org
​MY LIFE IN UKRAINE
Explore the Collection
This website features selected and edited clips from the oral history recordings, offering a glimpse into the lives and experiences shared with us.
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LISTEN TO SOME OF THE INTERVIEWS HERE:
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24th FEBRUARY 2022
LEAVING UKRAINE
​​NEW BEGINNINGS
To listen to the full collection, please visit the Liverpool Record Office at Liverpool Central Library.
We extend our deepest gratitude to all who shared their stories, time, and memories.
Your voices are now part of our shared heritage and are available for future generations to hear, listen and reflect upon.