War has shown Ukrainians – and the rest of us – why museums are so important for telling our stories | Charlotte Higgins

Objects from the front line bear bloodstained witness - not just to what happened, but to Ukraine's very existence

The violence of war, and all its horror, has a clarifying effect on what really matters in every aspect of life. In the immediate aftermath of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, those caught up in the terrifying events found that language was reduced to its most fundamental function: telling loved ones they were alive.

The work of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in Kyiv was, similarly, refined to its most basic essentials: safeguarding the objects. Keeping them from destruction. Making sure that they would be there to tell their stories for the next generation.

Charlotte Higgins is the Guardian's chief culture writer. She will be speaking about the future of museums at the Hay festival on Saturday 3 June