The Museum of Kyiv History, together with Christmas ornament researcher Maryna Lukianova, presents the exhibition project “Ukrainian Christmas Tree Ornament: from Antiquity to the Present Day”. We invite you to discover the history of the most anticipated winter holiday and its inseparable attribute – the Christmas tree!

The exhibition invites visitors to discard the stereotype of the Christmas ornament as a typical decoration and to view it from an unusual perspective – as an autonomous museum object that reflects the traditions of the Ukrainian festive calendar, the history of everyday life and domestic culture, and the development of one of Ukraine’s industrial sectors.

The project demonstrates how images, materials, and production techniques of ornaments have changed over decades; reveals all the intricacies of producing the first glass baubles and cotton figurines; and explains why ornaments in Ukrainian folk costumes could be found abroad. The exhibition features rare artifacts: the first Christmas tree ornaments of the 19th century, toys from the period of the First World War, paper and figurative glass decorations, as well as contemporary pieces with original hand-painted designs.