Branch Head:
Kseniia Viktorivna Strilnyk
Phone:
380 (44) 563-30-06
Email:
kyivoccupiedmuseum@gmail.com
Year of Establishment:
2008
Address:
Kyiv, 49/1 Denys Antypov St.
Scope of Activities:
History
Opening Hours:
The Museum of the Occupation of Kyiv is a branch of The Museum of Kyiv History. From its foundation in 2008, it was known as the “Museum of Partisan Glory.” In 2015, by order of The Museum of Kyiv History, it was renamed the Museum of the Occupation of Kyiv.
Reinterpreting historical events in the context of state and national policy has highlighted the need to truthfully present the city’s history during the most dramatic periods of the Ukrainian people’s life: from the beginning of the Ukrainian Revolution in 1917 to the restoration of state sovereignty and independence in 1991. The museum focuses on the features of the numerous occupations of Kyiv in the 20th century, which forms the main thematic emphasis of its exhibitions. The existence of any occupation regime is accompanied by two phenomena that characterize the behavior of the local population: resistance and collaboration. These issues still remain highly relevant for Ukraine. Therefore, the museum offers a new perspective on occupation regimes, primarily the Soviet regime, whose policies in Ukraine are still viewed controversially.
The museum examines occupation regimes through the lens of their activities in a specific location, namely Kyiv. The main themes of the museum’s exhibitions are:
– Ideology of occupation regimes. This section shows that the political goals of these regimes were beyond the borders of Ukraine; the country was considered only as a resource for achieving their objectives.
– Occupation terror. This section highlights that throughout their existence, occupation regimes deliberately implemented policies of destruction and intimidation of the local population as a primary means of maintaining their control.
– Destruction of the urban environment. This section demonstrates how occupation regimes purposefully destroyed or distorted the urban space to serve their ideological and political goals.
These themes are presented in the museum through:
– photographs and documents, personal belongings of direct participants, leaflets, and newspapers from the occupation period;
– samples of weapons and military equipment used by the warring sides;
– maps and diagrams.
The museum also invites visitors to the interactive VR exhibition “Babiy Yar”. The Museum of Kyiv History worked on this project for over a year. More than 50 specialists participated in its creation, including historians, professional actors, 3D artists, and virtual reality developers. The scenes were recreated in 3D based on archival materials, and some objects were sourced from the museum’s collections, where they were scanned in 3D using photogrammetry. The resulting materials were enhanced with interactivity and assembled on the Unreal Engine platform.
