August 7, 2025 | Thursday
Çast / Moment is the name of the Museum of Survivors of Sexual Violence during the War in Kosovo, established by the Jahjaga Foundation to honour and amplify the voices of survivors.
As the first museum of its kind in Kosovo, Moment is dedicated entirely to those who endured wartime sexual violence. Its primary goal is to create a permanent space that dignifies their suffering and preserves their experiences as an essential part of the country’s historical memory.
Curated by Eliza Hoxha, the museum takes its name from the concept that life is made up of moments, each shaping who we are and where we go. The moment of rape was not just life-altering for the survivors – it was a moment that left a profound and lasting impact on all the people of Kosovo.
The museum brings together artists such as Ylber Cervadiku and Zake Prelvukaj, who use their art to shed light on this painful chapter of Kosovo’s history. Featuring artefacts provided by Medica Gjakova and the Centre for the Promotion of Women’s Rights in Drenas, each of the museum’s four rooms serves as a space for reflection and awareness, challenging stigma while empowering survivors to share their stories with courage.
The museum’s central mission is twofold: to raise public awareness about wartime sexual violence in Kosovo and to educate younger generations about the country’s war legacy. Even 26 years after the conflict, survivors continue to face stigma, silence, and marginalisation. Moment aims to counter that silence by encouraging survivors to speak openly and seek justice.
Drawing strength from stories like that of Marte Tunaj, who reported her rapist in 2000, as well as Vasfije Krasniqi, Shyhrete Tahiraj, and most recently Ramadan Nishori, the museum builds upon their public testimonies to create a platform for visibility, recognition, and solidarity and to encourage other survivors to claim the public discourse and share their stories. Their stories have helped shift public perception and demand accountability, opening the way for deeper social understanding and support.
“Everything that is not preserved is destined to be forgotten,” says Bleonë Hajdari, project assistant at the Jahjaga Foundation, emphasising the museum’s vital role in memory preservation. Initiatives like Moment, she notes, not only support survivors but also push institutions to continue the pursuit of justice.
“Proper remembrance, coupled with education and dealing with the past, are key to building a stronger, more peaceful future,” Hajdari adds. The documentation of stories and artefacts at the Moment museum is one step closer to the acceptance and recognition of survivors’ pain – and one step closer to the justice they so rightly deserve.