How did Kyiv residents decorate Christmas trees 100 years ago, and why were ornaments used for propaganda for so long?

This year, as Ukraine adopts the Revised Julian calendar and celebrates Christmas on December 25, the Museum of Kyiv History, together with collector of antique Christmas decorations Maryna Lukyanova, presents the exhibition “Kyiv Christmas Tree: From the 19th Century to the Present,” which allows visitors to immerse themselves in the festive atmosphere of Kyiv across different historical periods.

The exhibition features:

A hand-sewn festive dress from the early 19th century; original Christmas ornaments from the time of Kaiser Wilhelm, used for propaganda purposes; a teddy bear from the 1940s, found in the ruins near St. Michael’s Square; a 1926 Father Frost figure by H. Svitlytskyi; 1920s ice skates; furniture over 200 years old; and an early 20th-century gramophone. These and many other unique artifacts will be displayed in specially arranged interiors representing different periods from the 19th century to the late 20th century.

Exhibition partners: TM “Christmas Stories”, ZP Law Office of Zoriana Pelekh, Dobropark, National Memorial Complex of the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred – Museum of the Revolution of Dignity, BEAUTYHUB.

Exhibits for the exhibition were provided by: Maryna Lukyanova, TM “Christmas Stories”, Pavlo Tretyakov, Lyudmyla Stepanenko, Tetiana Ananyeva, Zinaida Borysenko, Mykola Karapota, Oleksandr Kulynenko, Olena Ryabinska, Illia Suvorov, Andrii Turchaninov, Iryna Khaliavka, Oksana Hordiiets.

Exhibition designer: Kateryna Kostenko.