National Museum of the History of Ukraine
Національний музей історії України | |
History museum | |
Collection size | 800 000 |
---|---|
Director | Fedir Androshchuk[1] |
Website | nmiu |
The National Museum of the History of Ukraine (MIST) (
History
Foundation
The museum began its activities with an archaeological exhibition in Kyiv in 1899 as the Museum of Antiquities and Arts. It was housed in the unfinished building designed by the prominent architect Vladyslav Horodetsky. Funds for it were raised by Kyiv residents.
The archeological department was the first to be created in the museum. It was headed by the well-known Ukrainian archaeologist Vikentiy Khvoyka.
In 1904 the museum was opened as the Emperor Nicholas II Kyiv Art, Industry and Science Museum.
The museum was supported by patrons, including the Tereshchenko and Khanenko families. They financed archaeological expeditions and helped to create collections with historical and ethnographic artefacts. The museum received new objects of applied art and coin collections as donations yearly.
Museum collections were significantly increased by
Ukrainian War of Independence and the Soviet Period
The ideological and educational role of the museum significantly increased during Ukrainian War of Independence in 1917–1921.
The capture of Ukraine by the Bolsheviks led to the nationalization of cultural institutions. In 1919 soviet authorities declared the Kyiv Art, Industry and Science Museum state property and renamed it the First State Museum. Museum funds were increased, mainly by the nationalization of private collections.
In 1924 the museum was renamed to the Taras Shevchenko Ukrainian Historical Museum. The museum exposition consisted of archaeological artefacts, household items and art. Also the museum had the graduate school, where art, archaeology and ethnography specialists studied.
In 1934 the museum was evicted from its original premises. Only the art and industrial departments remained at the same site. Two years later they formed the new State Ukrainian Museum, now the National Art Museum of Ukraine. All other exhibits were transported to the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. It's the ancient monastery, where soviet authorities made the centre of antireligious propaganda. Funds of different museums were transported there, and it was called the Museum Town.
In 1935 the museum was renamed as the Taras Shevchenko Central Historical Museum. It worked at the territory of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra.
The museum was evacuated to
At the end of 1941 with the occupation of Kyiv by Nazi forces the museum was under the Reichsleiter Rosenberg Taskforce. Its staff, including Hungarian archaeologist Nandor Fettich, packed the collections located in Kyiv Pechersk Lavra to remove it to Germany. In 1942 the archaeological and ethnographic collections of the museum were moved to the building which is now known as the
Some of the most valuable museum artefacts from Kyiv were transported to Germany in 1941 and 1943. Most of them were trapped in Hochstedt Castle. After the fall of Nazi Germany, it was under American authority. Collections from Kyiv were sent to the Munich Central Collecting Point. Artefacts returned to Kyiv in 1947.
With the liberation of Kyiv by the Soviet Army in November 1943 the museum started to resume its work. In May 1944 it received the building where it's still situated. It's a former arts school designed by Joseph Karakis. The museum opened for visitors in 1948.
A significant number of unique exhibits were lost during the war. The museum replenished its collections from numerous expeditions to the military fronts, archaeological and ethnographic expeditions. Also it made exhibits exchanges with Lviv, Odessa, Chernihiv, other Kyiv museums.
In 1977 the museum renewed its exposition. Design was very modern for those times. Such room planning with little changes is preserved nowadays.
The museum's collections became the basis for the other museums. In particular, 18,000 items were transferred to the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War. The Kyiv Fortress (historical and architectural complex where the museum was created) firstly was the branch of the historical museum. About 600 exhibits were donated to the Museum of Kyiv History.
During the “
Post-independence
The museum was renamed as the National Museum of History of Ukraine in 1991.[
In 2020 the museum was rebranded as MIST. Formed from a combination of the words “museum” and “historical”, the term in
In 2023, the museum took temporary possession of 565 ancient
Main building
The museum, under different names, was located in various building in
Collection
The museum's collection has about 800,000 items. It include: ethnographic material, archaeological items including a significant collection of
The museum usually has 22,000 exhibits on permanent display, including permanent exhibitions that showcase finds from the territory of Ukraine. They include:[5]
- the first primitive tools dating from a million years ago;
- the first jewellery of the Stone Age, including an ornamented mammoth tusk bracelet;
- Trypillian pottery;
- Sarmatianweapons and horse equipment, artworks in animal style;
- ancient Greek utensils and jewels;
- silver and gold coins with trident images, a personal mark of prince Volodymyr Sviatoslavych, Baptiser of Rus;
- plinths with tridentimages;
- legal statutory acts and statements (universals) of hetmans;
- cossack banners and guns;
- Kyiv metropolitan bishop's carriage;
- furniture, dishes and other utensils from the XIX century.
The exposition of the museum regularly hosts interactive excursions for children and adults, theatrical evening tours, author's and thematic excursions.[6]
Branches
The Kyiv City Teacher's House displays the original three statutory acts of the Central Rada, and documents and personal items of the leaders of the Ukrainian Revolution.[citation needed]
The
See also
References
- ^ "Результати другого засідання конкурсної комісії з конкурсного добору на посаду генерального директора Національного музею історії України" [The competition committee elected a new head of the National Museum of History] (in Ukrainian). Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports of Ukraine. 2 March 2020. Archived from the original on 27 March 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Історія музею" [History of the museum] (in Ukrainian). National Museum of the History of Ukraine. Archived from the original on 4 March 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ "МІСТ: Національний музей історії України презентує ребрендинг" [MIST: The National Museum of the History of Ukraine presents a rebranding] (in Ukrainian). National Museum of the History of Ukraine. Archived from the original on 25 November 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ "Ancient Ukraine treasures returned after court battle". BBC News. 27 November 2023.
- ^ "Ф Фонди національного музею історії україни" [Funds of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine] (in Ukrainian). National Museum of the History of Ukraine. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ "Екскурсії" [Excursions] (in Ukrainian). National Museum of the History of Ukraine. Archived from the original on 4 March 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
Further reading
- "National Museum of the History of Ukraine". Internet Encyclopaedia of Ukraine. Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- Kovtanyuk, N.G. (2016). "Національний Музей Історії України" [National Museum of the History of Ukraine]. In Smoliy, V. A. (ed.). Encyclopedia of the History of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). Vol. 7. Інститут історії України НАН України. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
External links
- A virtual tour of the museum
- The museum's official YouTube channel (in Ukrainian)
- The catalogue of the “Ukraine – Sweden: At the Crossroads of History” exhibition from the Institute of the History of Ukraine, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (in Ukrainian)
- Papers and journals from the museum from Academia.edu (in Ukrainian)