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Kiev Museum Director on War, History, and Cultural Survival

cultural-heritage · 2026-04-27

Fedir Androshchuk, the director of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in Kyiv, reflects on the institution's changes following Russia's invasion in February 2022. Established in 1899, the museum houses 800,000 items, featuring Scythian gold artifacts. It experienced ideological suppression during the Soviet period and was damaged during the German occupation in 1941. Since the onset of the war, the museum has focused on safeguarding its collections by relocating items to safe areas. Androshchuk's outreach to his Swedish counterparts on February 25, 2022, led to global assistance, including over 10 tons of storage equipment from Blue Shield Denmark. By late May 2022, the museum had resumed exhibitions, attracting 11,500 visitors in the first year of conflict, despite the absence of government funding.

Key facts

  • National Museum of the History of Ukraine in Kyiv holds 800,000 objects from prehistory to present war.
  • Museum founded in 1899 as a city museum; became national after 1917.
  • During WWII, explosion in 1941 damaged collection; items taken to Germany; precious pieces evacuated to Ufa and returned in 1947.
  • Since February 2022 invasion, museum moved collections to protect from bombs.
  • Androshchuk sent appeal to Swedish colleagues on Feb 25, 2022; Blue Shield Denmark donated 10+ tons of equipment.
  • Museum resumed exhibitions in late May 2022 with display on Kyiv defense; 11,500 visitors in first war year.
  • Collection includes Scythian gold pectoral and artifacts from many ethnic groups.
  • Androshchuk criticizes Ukrainian government for neglecting cultural heritage as security issue.

Entities

Artists

  • Fedir Androshchuk
  • Mykola F. Bilyashivsky

Institutions

  • National Museum of the History of Ukraine
  • Blue Shield Denmark
  • Museum of the Cathedral of St. Sophia
  • Ministry of Culture of Ukraine
  • Artribune

Locations

  • Kiev
  • Ukraine
  • Ufa
  • Bashkiria
  • Russia
  • Germany
  • Denmark
  • Sweden
  • Stockholm
  • Kyiv-Pechersk Monastery
  • Volodymyrska Street
  • Black Sea

Sources