Tiahyn Fortress has been given a new lease of life – its story is now told through the medium of a graphic novel.
In the new Ukrainian graphic novel ‘Walls’, a separate chapter is devoted to Tiahyn Fortress and the research carried out on it. Through illustrations and brief dialogue, the graphic novel tells not only of the monument itself, but also of the people who have spent many years researching it, drawing attention to its significance and seeking modern ways to discuss the complex history of southern Ukraine.
This is particularly important today. Tiahyn is situated on the right bank of the Dnipro – a territory liberated from Russian occupation in 2022, yet it remains inaccessible to visitors due to constant shelling. Nevertheless, its history lives on – in the findings of archaeological research, academic publications, a virtual museum and now also on the pages of a graphic novel.
The graphic novel ‘Walls’ depicts Tiahyn as a meeting place for different cultures and civilisations. Archaeological research has revealed its links with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Crimea, Genoa, Poland and the Ukrainian lands. This is precisely why Tiahyn Fortress is an important monument to the shared history of the Ukrainian, Lithuanian and Crimean Tatar peoples.
Presentations of the mural ‘Walls’ have already taken place in 14 communities across Ukraine. In this way, Tiahyn travels across Ukraine alongside the book – becoming a topic of conversation, introducing new audiences to the history of southern Ukraine and reminding us that whilst cultural heritage may be physically inaccessible, it must not become inaccessible to memory.
The ‘Walls’ graphic novel is a collaborative initiative by three civil society organisations that were working on the cultural heritage of the Kherson region prior to Russia’s full-scale invasion and are continuing their work today: the ‘Ukraine-Lithuania’ Cultural Centre, the ‘Totem’ Centre for Cultural Development, the Novokakhovka Society for the Protection of Cultural Heritage. Tiahyn continues to travel. Now, it also travels through the pages of the graphic novel.
