National Historical Museum of Ukraine, National history museum in Kyiv, Ukraine
The National Historical Museum of Ukraine in Kyiv is an institution displaying objects from various periods, including archaeological finds, old manuscripts, and coin collections. The collection is distributed across multiple exhibition areas where you can see weapons, paintings, and everyday objects.
The museum opened in August 1899 as the Museum of Antiquities and Arts in an unfinished building on Oleksandrivska Street, with Vikentiy Khvoyka heading its first archaeological department. Mykola Biliashivsky became director in 1902 and shaped the collections, formally opened in 1904. In 1934 it was moved to the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, and since 1944 it has occupied the 1937–1939 building by architect Yosyp Karakis on Starokyivska Hill.
The museum's name changed repeatedly: founded in 1899 as the Museum of Antiquities and Arts, it became the Emperor Nicholas II Kyiv Art, Industry and Science Museum in 1904, the First State Museum in 1919, and the National Museum of History of Ukraine in October 1991. Kyivans still call it simply the Historical Museum. Its archaeological department, the first created, was headed by Vikentiy Khvoyka.
The building stands on Starokyivska Hill at the end of Desyatynnyi Lane, set back from the excavated foundations of the Church of the Tithes, which remain untouched in front of it. The entrance is reached by a shaped staircase with lamp posts; a viewing platform beside the building holds a stone carved with Nestor the Chronicler's words "from here the Russian land began to be." The museum occupies the whole 1937–1939 building, so allow time for several floors of exhibits.
The museum runs a separate branch focused on jewelry and precious metal objects, displaying pieces from different centuries. This collection is often overlooked by visitors but offers a fascinating look at the craftsmanship and tastes of past cultures.
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