Dear friends of press freedom,

On behalf of the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), we are pleased to invite you to the opening of the exhibition The Only Material on Thursday, 22 October 2026, at 18:00 (doors open at 17:30) at the German Museum of Books and Writing (Deutsches Buch- und Schriftmuseum), Deutscher Platz 1, 04103 Leipzig.

The exhibition is about Ukrainian journalists who once set out to report on justice, climate, science or gender. For almost five years since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, they have instead been documenting the war. As the war continues, the exhibition reflects on how these journalists look back on their experience today: what has changed in their work and in themselves, and what they have held on to. Through personal testimonies and photography, it shows how their professional mission has been reshaped, but not erased.

The opening evening will include a live journalism performance created with our non-profit partner Headliner. Three Ukrainian reporters, Victoriia Yermolaieva, Serhii Korovayny and Diana Delyurman, will share partly unpublished stories from their work, brought to the stage with artistic and multimedia elements. The evening will also be a chance to see the exhibition and meet guests from the political, journalistic, cultural and civic sectors.

Admission is free. Please register by 19 October here: https://forms.gle/gabfRW6wQ2Y8Rbjt5

If you cannot attend the opening, the exhibition will stay at the museum from 23 October 2026 to 3 January 2027. You are warmly welcome to visit at any time during this period. More information on the website: https://theonlymaterial.com/

The exhibition is presented by ECPMF in partnership with the German Museum of Books and Writing and Headliner gUG, as part of the Voices of Ukraine / SAFE programme, part of the Hannah Arendt Initiative and supported by the German Federal Foreign Office.

Warm regards,
ECPMF Team