The University of Michigan’s Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia (WCEE) has created a new website that serves as a digital archive of testimonies from witnesses and victims of documented human rights violations, war crimes, and atrocities in Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022. The website’s public launch on Saturday, February 24 commemorates two years since the invasion.

Testimonies were collected by journalists and researchers working with the international NGO The Reckoning Project (TRP). WCEE's team of research assistants, translators, and editors led by the project's Principal Investigator Geneviève Zubrzycki, then prepared the data for analytical, legal, archival, and commemorative purposes.

The site's key feature is two interactive maps, each allowing the user to visualize patterns of mass violence in unique ways. 

The Incident Map shows the location of violent acts against civilians documented by The Reckoning Project. Users can zoom in and out to explore incidents in a specific region and then view details by clicking on the red dot. When zoomed out, the number appearing in a larger red circle represents the number of incidents clustered in a specific area. 

The Troop Movement Map provides a timeline of incidents in relation to the movements of Russian and Ukrainian soldiers. The slider on the bottom of the screen allows users to navigate the map in 1-week increments. The troop movement data is adapted from political scientist Yuri M. Zhukov's VIINA 2.0 / Violent Incident Information from News Articles near-real-time data system.

Entries in the Archive of Testimonies contain basic information and a brief description of incidents. Those shown on the website are considered for legal prosecution, which prohibits the disclosure of certain information. The identities of witnesses, victims, and The Reckoning Project's researchers are concealed to ensure their safety. Full summaries of testimonies may be available upon request.

“The collaboration between WCEE and The Reckoning Project has been truly unique because it combines the skills of journalists, lawyers, and academic researchers,” says WCEE Director Geneviève Zubrzycki, William H. Sewell Jr. Collegiate Professor of Sociology. “The contribution from our team is crucial—not only have we provided analysis of testimonies to identify patterns of violations and helped create a lasting memorial to the victims of Russia’s war in Ukraine, but we have also developed an innovative tool for educators to teach about the war and mass violence more generally.”

WCEE will add incidents to the maps and archive on a quarterly basis. If you are interested in receiving updates via email, sign up here. 

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The Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia (WCEE) supports faculty and student research, teaching, collaboration, and public engagement in studying the institutions, cultures, and histories of these regions. WCEE is comprised of the Center for European Studies (CES); Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (CREES); and Copernicus Center for Polish Studies (CCPS); and is housed at the University of Michigan International Institute. For more information, visit ii.umich.edu/wcee.