Vidmantas Balkūnas and Kseniya Kharchenko
In this practical seminar on war documentation, key topics related to the recording of war and war refugees‘ experiences will be discussed. Participants will include Lithuanian press photographer and investigative journalist Vidmantas Balkūnas and Ukrainian writer, culture manager, and translator Kseniya Kharchenko. The discussion will be moderated by Ilona Strumickienė, historian and head of the Statehood Center at the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania. Together, they will explore the goals of war documentation – from preserving history to ensuring accountability for war crimes, as well as its impact on policy, diplomacy, and public understanding. Ethical challenges, such as avoiding bias, documenting sensitive topics like enemies, collaborators, and refugees, and ensuring the reliability and protection of collected data, will be examined. The seminar will also cover technologies like drones and digital archiving, the role of memory institutions, and the importance of safeguarding the physical and psychological well-being of data collectors while documenting conflict situations.