Museum on the Front Line

The National Art Museum of Ukraine (NAMU) is located in the centre of Kyiv, just 200 metres from the buildings of the Cabinet of Ministers and the National Bank. However, it is actually on the front line. This is because the government quarter, where the 125-year-old building stands, is a target for Russian missiles and drones. Despite this, the museum continues to operate, though the main collection has been removed from its halls to protect it from a potential Russian strike. In its place, lectures for art lovers and temporary exhibitions of individual collections are held.

"Since 24.02.2022, NAMU has been closed to visitors. But we remain connected via social media. Follow updates there, and also on our website. Stay safe and believe in the Armed Forces of Ukraine!" This message remains on the museum's website, although art events resumed there in April 2022. Yes, the permanent collection of the museum is currently not on display, but other events are taking place, and temporary exhibitions are being held. How does this happen? It’s easy to understand from the notice that accompanies each announcement of events at NAMU: “In case of an air raid alert, all visitors are asked to immediately proceed to the shelter."

The latest art event at NAMU is the exhibition "Origins," which is taking place right now. At this exhibition, visitors can see ancient artefacts that were likely displayed in the very first exhibition of the museum 125 years ago. Why "likely"? Because no catalogues or guides were published for this exhibition at the time. The exhibition was reconstructed thanks to the fact that the displayed items formed the foundation of the current collection of the National Museum of History of Ukraine.

Among the exhibits at the "Origins" exhibition are flint tools from the Kyiv-Kyriliv Palaeolithic site (24–23 thousand years ago) and items from the Trypillian culture. Scythian antiquities, discovered in burial mounds near the village of Vovkivtsi in the Sumy region, are also on display.

Photo: The museum of the renowned Ukrainian philosopher Hryhoriy Skovoroda in the Kharkiv region suffered severe damage from an artillery strike. May 2022. Source: Kharkiv MCA

The full-scale Russian invasion of 2022 and the annexation of Crimea in 2014 caused enormous damage to Ukraine’s cultural heritage. The Russians destroyed archaeological sites at Chersonesus in Crimea. The museum of the renowned Ukrainian philosopher Hryhoriy Skovoroda in the Kharkiv region suffered severe damage from artillery strikes. Fortunately, the collection of the National Art Museum of Ukraine (NAMU) has been saved from damage and is currently stored in a special facility, the location of which is kept confidential. Indeed, the history of NAMU is a powerful example of how Ukrainians are working to preserve their artistic heritage despite the horrors of war, repression, and ideologically motivated persecution.

In fact, the fate of the National Art Museum of Ukraine closely mirrors the fate of Ukrainian art and society. Nearly 130 years ago, when Ukraine was still under the control of the Russian Empire, Kyiv philanthropists and enthusiasts of Ukrainian art and history initiated the creation of the museum, but their efforts were rejected by the Tsarist authorities.

After several refusals from the authorities, Kyiv art lovers and philanthropists founded the Society of Antiquities and Art in 1897, led by Bohdan Khanenko, a well-known art collector and philanthropist. The museum was quickly built with the society's funds, despite considerable challenges. In the early years, the museum had only two staff members: museum director Mykola Bilyashivsky and head of the archaeological department, the famous historian and archaeologist Vikentiy Khvoyka. An interesting detail: both of them were paid from donations made by society members, and Mykola Bilyashivsky lived in one of the museum's basement rooms.

On 17 August (5 August, old style) 1899, the first exhibition opened in the unfinished building of the City Museum of Antiquities and Arts — this date is considered the founding day of NAMU. The museum building was designed by architect Petro Boytsov in the neoclassical style, although the project was finalised and the construction overseen by the famous Kyiv architect Vladyslav Horodetsky. Horodetsky deserves special attention as an innovative figure in the cultural scene of Kyiv at the time. He pioneered the use of monolithic reinforced concrete in public buildings, and his projects include the Cathedral church of St Nicholas and the stunning House with Chimeras.

Throughout its 125-year history, the museum has changed its name 12 times. These name changes reflect the complex history of the country and shifts in the profile of its collection. Some sections of the original collections left the museum to become the foundation for other museums in Ukraine and its capital.

The respect Ukrainians have for the National Art Museum of Ukraine was demonstrated during the events of the 2014 Maidan protests. The museum was directly on the front line of the barricades, immediately behind government troops. Despite the intense clashes involving firearms and Molotov cocktails, the museum was left undamaged.

Photo: Just a few days before the fierce events at the protest front, government troops held photoshoots on the museum’s steps. 2014, Maidan events. Source: NAMU

Photo: Maidan 2014 – when the Museum found itself on the front line of the clash between government troops and protesters. Source: NAMU

In 2024, NAMU received a grant from the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH Foundation), with financial support from the European Union, for the restoration and repair of the museum building. This support will help overcome delays in restoration work caused by the full-scale invasion. This is not the first collaboration between ALIPH Foundation and NAMU.

Photo: The equipment you see in the picture was delivered to the museum by the ALIPH Foundation. Source: NAMU

In the autumn of 2022, ALIPH Foundation provided funds to secure the museum’s collection. This enabled the museum to continue digitising its archival materials, despite the frequent power cuts caused by Russian airstrikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Thanks to donor funds, the museum purchased generators, digital systems, equipped a restoration workshop for paper works, and updated equipment for preserving iconography.