On the same day Wisconsin became the first state in the nation to officially condemn Russia’s forced deportation of Ukrainian children, visitors to the Capitol experienced a hauntingly immersive window into the war’s toll on civilians.

The War Up Close virtual reality exhibit, part of the traveling VR Museum of the War in Ukraine, was set up inside the Capitol building on October 16. The project uses 360-degree photography and immersive video to place viewers in the center of destroyed Ukrainian neighborhoods, hospitals, schools, and homes.

Mykola Omelchenko, one of the lead documentarians behind the effort, was on hand to guide attendees through the exhibit and answer questions.

“When the full-scale war began, I saw my own country being destroyed — cities I had photographed for y

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