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National Museum of the History of Ukraine

One of Ukraine's leading museums with a collection of over 800,000 exhibits

📍 Kyiv, Kyiv•🏛️ 1899

About This Site

The National Museum of the History of Ukraine is one of the country's leading museums with a unique collection of over 800,000 exhibits chronicling Ukraine's history from ancient times to the present day.

The National Museum of the History of Ukraine is one of the most important cultural institutions in the country, founded in 1899 as the Museum of Antiquities and Art. Located in the heart of Kyiv on Volodymyrska Street, the museum occupies a historic building of the former art school with a classical facade. The museum's collection includes over 800,000 exhibits of world significance: archaeological and numismatic collections, ethnographic collections, weapons collections, decorative and applied art monuments, manuscripts, old prints, paintings and graphics, and relics of the Ukrainian national liberation movement of the 20th century. The exhibition reflects the history of Ukraine from ancient times to the present. In 2000, the museum underwent rebranding with the acronym MIST (Museum of HISTory), symbolizing a place where past and future meet, where civilizations and knowledge unite. The museum has a branch - the Treasury of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine, which stores unique materials made of precious metals and precious stones. After the full-scale Russian invasion began in February 2022, the museum's exhibits were dismantled and evacuated, but the museum continues to implement temporary exhibition projects and collect materials on the Russian-Ukrainian war.

Historical Significance

The museum's history began in 1899 with an archaeological exhibition in an unfinished building on Oleksandrivska Street (now Hrushevskyi Street, 6). The prominent Kyiv architect Vladyslav Horodetskyi designed the building for the museum, and Kyiv residents raised funds for its construction. In 1904, the museum was consecrated and officially opened under a new name - Kyiv Art-Industrial and Scientific Museum. Significant roles in forming the museum collection were played by first director Mykola Biliashivskyi, archaeologist Vikentii Khvoika, and head of historical-ethnographic departments Danylo Shcherbakivskyi. Collections were replenished thanks to patronage from the Tereshchenko family and Bohdan Khanenko. During World War I and the period of national liberation struggles, the museum continued to operate. In 1919, the Council of People's Commissars of the Ukrainian SSR nationalized the museum, renaming it the First State Museum. After World War II, the most valuable exhibits were evacuated to Ufa and returned to Kyiv in 1947. In 1944, the museum received premises at 2 Volodymyrska Street, where it still operates today. On October 15, 1991, after Ukraine's independence was restored, by resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers, the museum received the status of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine.

The National Museum of the History of Ukraine is one of the country's leading museums in terms of the quantity and value of its collections. Its holdings include over 800,000 exhibits of world significance: archaeological and numismatic collections, ethnographic collections, weapons collections, decorative and applied art monuments, manuscripts, old prints, paintings and graphics. The museum is an important research center that preserves and studies Ukraine's cultural heritage, making Ukrainian history more understandable for Ukrainians and the world. The acronym MIST (bridge) symbolizes that the museum connects not only epochs but also people. Today, the museum continues to fulfill its important mission of preserving national memory, especially during wartime, documenting the Russian-Ukrainian war for future generations.