NIGHT STAY / НОЧІВЛЯ

Katya Buchatska invites people to spend the night with her in in the Tule Station House near the only reconstructed railway track in Gotland, a place that can still be reached by train.

Today, Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia) is one of the most important and reliable infrastructure networks in the country. Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the railway became a symbol of stability and hope in the state of emergency. Among such crucial things provided by the Ukrainian railways are evacuation, delivery of humanitarian aid, international transport in the absence of aircraft and destroyed airports, etc. Sweden is also changed by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and after more than two centuries of neutrality, it has joined NATO, marking a profound shift in its sense of security and belonging.

Railway lines in Ukraine often offer an overnight option, where the traveller sleeps on the train. The longest route that existed before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Mariupol-Rakhiv, was 1,806 km. The train departed at 08:08 in the morning and arrived at its final destination the following day at 11:42. It can be said that Ukrainians often spend the night in a compartment or a sleeping car with strangers, and this time can be both a challenge or a chance to make friends or have adventures.

In this project, the link between Gotland, where the railway has disappeared and night trains no longer run, and Ukraine, where routes are shortened by war and occupation, becomes a space for reflection. The shared experience of spending the night together offers a rare opportunity — to slow down, to listen, and to speak about things for which there is not always time.

‍

Night Stay project is a part of the exhibition I DIN TID (In Your Time), Gotland

curated by Birthe Jorgensen

‍