About Two Regimes
Two Regimes is the life’s work of two Ukrainian women: a mother, Teodora Verbitskaya (author) and her daughter, Nadia Werbitzky (professional artist). Teodora wrote about her family’s life from 1927 to 1945 while living in Mariupol, Soviet Ukraine, under the two regimes of Stalin and Hitler. Mother and daughter were survivors and witnesses of two genocides: that of the Holodomor (man-made Famine 1932-33 under Stalin) and the Holocaust (1933-1945 under Hitler).
“Two Regimes” weaves a tale of suffering and survival from 1927-1945 during Stalin’s collectivization and requisition of agriculture that resulted in millions of Soviet citizens, mostly Ukrainians, dying from hunger in a time of good harvests (known as the Holodomor). Teodora and Nadia witnessed the ferocious Nazi invasion of the USSR and the Holocaust of the Jews in Mariupol, then found themselves taken back to Germany as Eastern slave labor for the Third Reich. Four long years later they were liberated by the American soldiers.
Nadia’s paintings are memory paintings: no one posed for her. Teodora’s journals were inspired by her desire to document life and the lives of those who lived and perished. Created decades apart, the written word and the artist’s brush correlate, as both sets of works are shared memories.
The Two Regimes Collection contains 118 paintings, 150 sketches and a manuscript – now a book published posthumously titled “Two Regimes . . . A Mother’s Memoir of Wartime Survival” by Teodora Verbitskaya.
Quotes about Two Regimes:
Please credit the authors of these quotes in your grants
“Hitler and Stalin were the history-makers, Teodora and Nadia are the carriers of memory. History is about knowing what happened in the past; memory is about knowing how what happened in the past makes you who you are today.” – Michael Camarda
“Two Regimes is a powerful but ever so painful memoir of a woman who lived through Stalin’s famine in the Ukraine and witnessed Hitler’s Final Solution to the Jewish Problem. Twice cursed by history, we are twice blessed with Teodora Verbitskaya’s commitment to memory and the talent of her daughter Nadia’s haunting sketches.” Michael Berenbaum, Director, Sigi Ziering Institute: Exploring the Ethical and Religious Implications of the Holocaust, Professor of Jewish Studies, American Jewish University, Los Angeles, California
TWO REGIMES FREE SCHOOL RESOURCES – helpful to show that you are building upon additional materials
TWO REGIMES SCHOOL FILM
Film – “Two Regimes – A Mother’s Memoir of the Holodomor and the Holocaust” by Douglas Darlington of Winding Road Films, and Two Regimes LLC.
The Two Regimes Film
Film Title: “Two Regimes – A Mother’s Memoir of the Holodomor and the Holocaust”
Directed by: Douglas Darlington of Winding Road Films
Log Line: A mother, Teodora, tells her story of life under Stalin and Hitler in Soviet Ukraine as she and her daughters witness the two genocides: that of the Holodomor (man-made Famine 1932-33 under Stalin) and the Holocaust (1933-1945 under Hitler) in a Reader’s Theater style format.
Launched: November 28, 2021
Cost: Free (and only available) to all Educational Institutions (not available otherwise). Teachers can register for the film by going to www.TwoRegimes.com/Film
Duration: 33 minutes
Includes:
-9 selections of music created in the Nazi labor and concentration camps between 1933-1953, music provided by Maestro Francesco Lotoro of Italy.
–24 paintings by Nadia Werbitzky, professional artist and daughter of the author, Teodora Verbitskaya.
–100 historical photographs and more.
Two Regimes is a story of the will and survival of everyday people faced with the realities of imposed starvation, internment, devastation, and War.
The embodiment of the story of Two Regimes is synonymous with the history that profoundly affects the lives of Teodora Verbitskaya the author and her family.
Although the history of the two regimes of Stalin and Hitler is complex, the details of the memoir of Verbitskaya’s Two Regimes and the imagery of the paintings of her daughter Nadia Werbitzky, who experienced life with her at this time, provides us with an insight into this time period like none else.
Thanks to the vision and the perseverance of documentary film director Douglas Darlington, of Winding Road Films, a remarkable, informative and one of a kind melding of the history of this era and the story of the witness and survival of Teodora’s family under the tyranny of Stalin and Hitler has come together in a 33 minute long didactic film that educators can appreciate and utilize in their classrooms and students can comprehend.
“Two Regimes – A Mother’s Memoir of the Holodomor and the Holocaust” will be available ONLY to educational institutions.
There is no charge for this film.
This film may be requested by going to:
Support Material
Film Flyer
Film Demo
https://drive.google.com/file/d/10LvhP6kfUW8abFP9ijERrPEW0BNEFBrN/view?usp=sharing
Also Readily available to our schools are a large collection of YouTube videos of grade level exhibitions which include digital images, verbiage, and narration to tell the Two Regimes story. There are YouTube videos for 4th grade, 5th grade, 6th grade, 7th grade, 8th grade and High School. These videos are available in English with an accent, American English, Spanish and Russian.
Student Comments are included here as text so that you can copy and paste into your grant as well as providing graphics that you can screenshot to use as supporting material.
Additional student comments can be found at this link:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1sh8Ae_4GiNu9zsHOxbT8WieUWh63zQQ4?usp=sharing
“I deeply appreciated the exhibition which enlightened my class. We had a big class discussion on the Holocaust and it brought so much light to the kids who are lost on the situation thank you for the great experience.”
Student Comment 1
“The art in this exhibit gives one a different perspective on war and the Holocaust, one that is more intimate and relates to someone on a deeper level than that of history textbooks. Each piece expresses the sorrow and devastation experienced by the victims of such tragedy. The viewers of these paintings can feel their loss in a way that can’t be felt through words. Especially the paintings of women with their painfully sad eyes, evoke this grief.”
Student Comment 2
“First of all, thank you for bringing this art to our campus. This art truly made me look at life from a different view. Furthermore, I liked all of the paintings due to their diversity. Not to mention, I encourage you in taking all of these paintings around the nation. Many people will see these paintings in their own eyes and situations.”
Student Comment 3
“This exhibit really made me think about what people involved in the Holocaust had to endure. It was really sad to me to see that people were even taken away from their animals. An event this horrific must have been unbearable to live through. Having to watch thousands of Jews being murdered some of which being one’s family and friends must have been traumatizing and I can’t imagine living through that.
One painting that really triggered emotion in me was “City of Kitezh.” It showed the horror and sadness of the city people in all that was going on. There was limited food and the city’s people were dying off from starvation others were held at gunpoint by police and then shoved into cars and trucks to be taken away from their homes. Imagining that happening to my city is unfathomable and it makes me feel grateful and blessed that such atrocities hasn’t occurred to my city and loved ones
TWO REGIMES SCHOOL EXHIBITION
For more info: [email protected]
Exhibition with 28 text boards which includes 2 policy boards; one for the Holodomor and one for the Holocaust.
We live in tumultuous times in our global community. Now more than ever, our schools are essential educational venues for everyone! The history of our past and the events of the present can often pre-determine the climate of the future. Two Regimes – Witness to War is an exhibition of soulful paintings accompanied with powerful passages written by the artist’s mother and author of “Two Regimes…. A Mothers Memoir of Wartime Survival” by Teodora Verbitskaya. Teodora was a simple Ukrainian woman, who with her two daughters Lucy and Nadia, survived the horrors of the two regimes of Stalin and Hitler, and witnessed firsthand the Holodomor (Death by starvation) and the Holocaust in Mariupol, Ukraine. After the war, daughter Nadia trained and became a literate artist who painted the precious memories of her country and its people before, during and after WWII. Both mother and daughter created their written word memoir and artist brush memories, decades apart. By bringing this powerful exhibition to our campus we hope to encourage a dialogue about oppression, genocide, war, and its social emotional impact of populations in global societies.
Additional items that go well with this exhibition:
Two Regimes Film available at www.TwoRegimes.com/Film – no charge
Two Regimes YouTube videos in English and Spanish – no charge
Two Regimes Lesson Plans available at www.TwoRegimes.com/Education – no charge
Group discussion about oppression
Group discussion about genocides
Reader’s Theater drama production
Guest Speakers
Two Regimes Postcard Exhibition for grades 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and high school
Two Regimes Laminate Exhibition for grades 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and high school
Two Regimes book by Teodora Verbitskaya
Validation possibilities:
Photo of exhibition
Essays or artwork created by students who experienced the exhibition
Student art inspired by Nadia Werbitzky
Reader’s Theater Drama Production
Students compare governments, painting styles, etc.
Support Material
Grade Level Exhibitions in All Languages
Two Regimes Lesson Plans and Support Material
TWO REGIMES 9-BANNER EXHIBITION
Purchase $7,000
For more info: [email protected]
9- Banner Exhibition – tells the story of Two Regimes
We live in tumultuous times in our global community. Now more than ever, our [museums, universities, libraries, schools] are essential educational venues for everyone! The history of our past and the events of the present can often pre-determine the climate of the future. Two Regimes 9-banner exhibition of soulful paintings accompanied with powerful passages written by the artist’s mother and author of “Two Regimes…. A Mothers Memoir of Wartime Survival” by Teodora Verbitskaya. Teodora was a simple Ukrainian woman, who with her two daughters Lucy and Nadia, survived the horrors of the two regimes of Stalin and Hitler, and witnessed firsthand the Holodomor (Death by starvation) and the Holocaust in Mariupol, Ukraine. After the war, daughter Nadia trained and became a literate artist who painted the precious memories of her country and its people before, during and after WWII. Both mother and daughter created their written word memoir and artist brush memories, decades apart. By bringing this powerful exhibition to our [museums, universities, libraries, schools] we hope to encourage a dialogue about oppression, genocide, war, and its social emotional impact of populations in global societies.
Additional items that go well with this exhibition:
Two Regimes Film available at www.TwoRegimes.com/Film – no charge
Two Regimes YouTube videos in English and Spanish – no charge
Group discussion about oppression
Group discussion about genocides
Two Regimes book by Teodora Verbitskaya
Validation possibilities:
Photo of exhibition
Essays or artwork created by students who experienced the exhibition
Support Material
https://drive.google.com/file/d/10LvhP6kfUW8abFP9ijERrPEW0BNEFBrN/view?usp=sharing
TWO REGIMES GICLEE EXHIBITION
For more info: [email protected]
16 Giclee’s of the paintings by Nadia Werbitzky
16 Text Boards with passages by Teodora Verbitskaya as translated by her granddaughter Lucianne Vanilar
2 Policy Boards – one for the Holodomor and one for the Holocaust 1 Opening Board
We live in tumultuous times in our global community. Now more than ever, our [museums, universities, libraries, schools] are essential educational venues for everyone! The history of our past and the events of the present can often pre-determine the climate of the future. Two Regimes – Genocide is an exhibition of soulful paintings accompanied with powerful passages written by the artist’s mother and author of “Two Regimes…. A Mothers Memoir of Wartime Survival” by Teodora Verbitskaya. Teodora was a simple Ukrainian woman, who with her two daughters Lucy and Nadia, survived the horrors of the two regimes of Stalin and Hitler, and witnessed firsthand the Holodomor (Death by starvation) and the Holocaust in Mariupol, Ukraine. After the war, daughter Nadia trained and became a literate artist who painted the precious memories of her country and its people before, during and after WWII. Both mother and daughter created their written word memoir and artist brush memories, decades apart. By bringing this powerful exhibition to our [museums, universities, libraries, schools] we hope to encourage a dialogue about oppression, genocide, war, and its social emotional impact of populations in global societies.
Additional items that go well with this exhibition:
Opening reception – (this can also be a fundraiser for you!)
Guest Speakers
Reader’s Theater presentation by student or professional actors
School field trips to the exhibition
Two Regimes Event with speakers in Art, Literature, Military, History/Social Studies, Human Rights, Social Emotional Learning Experts, discussing the exhibition and current events.
Student art inspired by Nadia Werbitzky
Two Regimes book by Teodora Verbitskaya
Validation possibilities:
Photo of exhibition
Guest sign in and comment book
Videotape history experts speaking about this exhibition
Videotape of patron’s comments
Newspaper articles
Index card comments from patrons
Essays or artwork created by students who experienced the exhibition
Support Material
2021-7-30 Secretary of State For Immediate Release Two Regimes Exhibition
TWO REGIMES ORIGINAL PAINTING EXHIBITION
Call for Current loan fee
For more info: [email protected]
Small Exhibition
24 Original framed paintings by Nadia Werbitzky (1922-2005)
24 Text Boards with passages by Teodora Verbitskaya as translated by her granddaughter Lucianne Vanilar
2 Policy Boards – one for the Holodomor and one for the Holocaust
1 Opening Board
Large Exhibition
33 Original framed paintings by Nadia Werbitzky (1922-2005)
33 Text Boards with passages by Teodora Verbitskaya as translated by her granddaughter Lucianne Vanilar
2 Policy Boards – one for the Holodomor and one for the Holocaust
1 Opening Board
We live in tumultuous times in our global community. Now more than ever, our [museums, universities, libraries, schools] are essential educational venues for everyone! The history of our past and the events of the present can often pre-determine the climate of the future. Two Regimes – Genocide is an exhibition of soulful paintings accompanied with powerful passages written by the artist’s mother and author of “Two Regimes…. A Mothers Memoir of Wartime Survival” by Teodora Verbitskaya. Teodora was a simple Ukrainian woman, who with her two daughters Lucy and Nadia, survived the horrors of the two regimes of Stalin and Hitler, and witnessed firsthand the Holodomor (Death by starvation) and the Holocaust in Mariupol, Ukraine. After the war, daughter Nadia trained and became a literate artist who painted the precious memories of her country and its people before, during and after WWII. Both mother and daughter created their written word memoir and artist brush memories, decades apart. By bringing this powerful exhibition to our [museums, universities, libraries, schools] we hope to encourage a dialogue about oppression, genocide, war, and its social emotional impact of populations in global societies.
Additional items that go well with this exhibition:
Opening reception – (this can also be a fundraiser for you!)
Guest Speakers
Reader’s Theater presentation by student or professional actors
School field trips to the exhibition
Two Regimes Event with speakers in Art, Literature, Military, History/Social Studies, Human Rights, Social Emotional Learning Experts, discussing the exhibition and current events.
Student art inspired by Nadia Werbitzky
Two Regimes book by Teodora Verbitskaya
Validation possibilities:
Photo of exhibition
Written or videotape comments from the organizer of this event
Guest sign in and comment book
Videotape history experts speaking about this exhibition
Videotape of patron’s comments
Newspaper articles
Index card comments from patrons
Essays or artwork created by students who experienced the exhibition
Support Material
