Branch Head:
Irina Borysivna Klimova
Phone:
380 (44) 235-17-34
Email:
museum-shalom@ukr.net
Year of Establishment:
2009
Address:
Kyiv, Velyka Vasylkivska St., 5
Scope of Activities:
Literature
Opening Hours:
Among the outstanding writers of the past, whose work has stood the test of time and entered the treasury of world culture, a place of honor belongs to the classic of Jewish literature, Sholom Aleichem. “Sholom Aleichem” – peace be upon you! With this greeting, more than a hundred years ago, Sholom Rabinovich came to the Jews, who soon became the most popular and beloved writer known as Sholom Aleichem.
The main themes of the Kyiv Sholom Aleichem Museum – a branch of the Museum of Kyiv History – are divided into two parts: Sholom Aleichem and Kyiv, and Sholom Aleichem and Ukraine. Kyiv played a huge role in the writer’s life: it was here that he grew, matured as a person and as a writer, and developed his talent.
“Kyiv is my city… The fact that I cannot be in Kyiv fills me with sorrow.” This was Sholom Aleichem’s response to a congratulatory telegram from Kyiv on the 25th anniversary of his literary work (Italy, 1908). Sholom Aleichem himself described himself as a chronicler of the everyday life of the Jewish people. The life of the inhabitants of the Jewish town became a source that nourished the writer’s talent and inspiration. His stories, novellas, and novels are not merely documents of a bygone era, but highly artistic literary works.
The Kyiv Sholom Aleichem Museum showcases and tells the story of the life and work of this outstanding writer. Visiting the museum gives each guest the opportunity to engage with the spiritual and material culture of the Jewish people. During the tour, some ritual Jewish items and objects of traditional Jewish daily life are displayed. Monitors installed in the exhibition hall show fragments of films and performances based on Sholom Aleichem’s works, Jewish architecture, the unique artistry of Jewish stonework—including Jewish tombstones (matzevot)—as well as old Jewish books, manuscripts, and examples of Jewish calligraphy. Visitors can also learn more about the “Beilis Case” (a court trial that drew attention not only in Russia but also across Europe in the early 20th century).
Sholom Aleichem lived in the apartment at 5 Velyka Vasylkivska St. (where the museum is located) from 1896 until mid-1903 (he left the house between April and August 1903). This period was the peak of his literary life. Here he wrote Menakhem-Mendel, In a Small World of Small People, New Kasrilivka (All of Berdichev), some novellas from Tevye the Dairyman, and others.
In addition to the main exhibition hall, the museum has a hall for temporary exhibitions, where new showcases of artists whose work reflects Jewish themes are presented almost every month. The museum also hosts a lecture program titled “Pages of Jewish History and Culture,” as well as concerts, seminars, conferences, and meetings with prominent figures from culture, science, and the arts.
