– March 4, 2022 –
The Diefenbunker and our Board of Directors stand in solidarity with Ukraine and all its people in their courageous defence of sovereignty. As Canada’s Cold War Museum, we do not condone war or aggression; we seek to further our understanding of the past by preserving its artifacts and stories.
There are lessons from the Cold War past that we are still learning. The Diefenbunker was built in response to the threat of nuclear war with the Soviet Union in the 1960s, and remained active until that threat declined thirty years later. The Diefenbunker now serves as Canada’s most important artifact of the Cold War and preserves our collective memory of that critical period in recent world history.
We continue to use our museum and national historic site as a place of communication, connection, and collaboration — a place to safeguard Canada’s story of the Cold War and champion ideas of diplomacy, preparedness, and peacebuilding.
Our doors and our hearts are open.
We encourage you to consider donating to a trusted organization who is supporting relief efforts in Ukraine. You can find some links to additional resources below.
SUPPORT
Government of Canada Response & Resources
Canada is matching donations to the Canadian Red Cross
Donate to Ukraine Emergency Relief Efforts (variety of organizations)
Canada-Ukraine Foundation
LEARN
Ukrainian Museum of Canada, Ontario Branch
Taras Shevchenko Museum
Ukrainian Canadian Art Foundation – KUMF Gallery
Canada and the Cold War (The Canadian Encyclopedia)
Cold War Canada (CBC)
The start of the Cold War (Diefenbunker)
How Ukrainians created human chain in late USSR to mark anniversary of Ukraine’s unification: archival photographs (Euromaidan Press, Ukraine)
Putin’s War on Ukraine, Explained (Vox)
Explained: The Russia-Ukraine crisis (The World is One News)
International Council of Museums Statement
Canadian Museums Association Statement