This section of the permanent exhibition highlights the events that took place in Chernivtsi Oblast during the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945).

From 22 June to 7 July 1941, fierce battles took place in Chernivtsi Oblast between units of the Red Army and detachments of the Romanian army – an ally of the Wehrmacht. The exhibition features photos of destroyed buildings, a battle map, photos, personal belongings, and weapons.

After the Red Army's retreat, an attempt was made in Bukovina to establish Ukrainian rule by members of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists. The arrival of the Romanian army forced some Ukrainian nationalists to fight for statehood outside the region – the Bukovyna Kurin was formed under the leadership of P. Voynovsky.

The return of Romanian rule was accompanied by repression based on political and/or ethno-national grounds: mass executions of civilians; the creation of a Jewish ghetto in Chernivtsi; the organization of concentration camps; and the mass deportation of the population for forced labour to Romania and Germany. The exhibition draws attention to the then-mayor of Chernivtsi, T. Popovych, who was later included in the cohort of 'Righteous Among the Nations' for saving Chernivtsi Jews.

Manifestations of the resistance movement in the region during the war included:

- the nationalist underground (the Melnyk faction was represented by the Bukovyna Ukrainian Self-Defence Army (BUSA) under the leadership of V. Luhovyi; the Bandera faction – by Bukovyna UPA detachments);

- the communist underground – by Komsomol members from Khotyn.

The resistance movement is depicted in the exhibition through photographs, documents, and personal belongings.

From March 1944, the region returned under Soviet control (a map-scheme of the Proskuriv-Chernivtsi and Uman-Botoshany operations is available). Mobilization was carried out in Bukovina. Among the residents of Chernivtsi Oblast who fought in the ranks of the Red Army, there are those awarded orders and medals, including: Hero of the Soviet Union I. Kozachuk from Prylypche village, full Cavalier of the Orders of Glory M. Dutka from Kaplivka village, and others (photos, personal belongings, and documents are on display and in the showcase).

After the war, the Stalinist regime in the region pursued a brutal policy of forced Sovietization and associated repressions. This sparked resistance from the population (UPA units continued to operate in the region). The exhibition features a model of a dug-out fragment, a scheme of the OUN in Chernivtsi Oblast, photographs, letters, and personal belongings of nationalist underground representatives and their family members who fell victim to the Soviet repressive machine.