In these May days the entire world celebrates the International Museum Day. Museums play very important role as historical institutions, not just because they treasure cultural artifacts, but because they preserve and nurture collective memory, reflecting the national identity of each state. That exact functions are on the base line of the development of city museums. Museum of Kyiv History works in the capital of Ukraine for almost half a century. It is the treasure of material and spiritual values of the nation. And also it is the collective memory of many generations of Kyivans.
Let us take a look at the history. From the idea of creating a city museum to implementation this thesis into real actions passed almost a century and a half. Researchers say that the first museum collection of the city history was the collection of the Kyiv Antiquities Museum of the St. Volodymyr University. That collection consisted, mainly, of finds from the Old Rus’ period, and also of the relevant documents. At the same time, the collection tended to increase due to materials from the history of Kyiv in the late Middle Ages. Typologically, it consisted almost entirely of physical objects. In 1842, according to the new regulations of the University of St. Volodymyr, the museum was named the Museum of Arts and Antiquities. During 90 years it worked under that name. During that time there were collected six and a half thousend museum objects. In time, the Museum changed its profile and began to be equipped with finds not only from Kyiv, but also from other provinces. Meanwhile, it never became city-wide and accessible, as served for scientific and educational purposes.
In 1897–1899 was built the first building for Museum in Kyiv. Today it is the building of the National Art Museum of Ukraine, located at Mykhaila Hrushevskoho street, 6 (in the late 19th century there was located Kyiv Art-Industrial and Science Museum). On August, 1,1899, on the first floor of the Museum was opened the first archaeological exhibition, which was dedicated to the XIth All-Russian Archaeological Congress, which took place in Kyiv. This date became the official day of foundation of the Museum, which collection later gave birth to several Kyiv museums. But the official opening of the Museum was in December 1904. Since 1902 till 1923 the head of the Museum was Mykola Biliashivskyi (1867–1926) — famous Ukrainian archaeologist, ethnographer, art critic, academician of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences. In the early 20th century the Museum turned into a real «monument of Ukrainian culture — monolitic, indivisible and grandiose», as the head of the Museum wanted. In 1912 in the Museum was opened department, named «Old Kyiv», for collecting documents and physical materials from various periods of the Kyiv history. The main attention was paid on the photographing of Kyiv, with its architecture, everyday life, recording the construction of various districts of the city. Till 1917, workers of the department of Old Kyiv gathered enough amount materials about Kyiv’s past.
They turned again to the idea of creating the Museum of Kyiv History in 1920s–1930s. Till that time there were laid the foundations of the concept of the city museum. Leading scientists of the All-Ukrainian Academy of Sciences Oleksa Novytskyi an Mykhailo Hrushevskyi developed programs that determined urban history, historical and everyday natute of the Museum of the City Kyiv. In these concepts they expanded chronological framework of documenting the history of Kyiv — since the earliest times till present times, and, accordingly, the content of its collection changed. It was the different conception from the interptetation of the city museum’s role as a research center, which was popular in the first decades of the 20th century
But, unfortunately, in the late 1920s – early 1930s the Museum of Kyiv History was not created. Firstly, because they could not find the building for museum, secondly, because historians of an old school were declared the leaders of bourgeois ideology. Спочатку не могли віднайти приміщення під Музей, потім істориків старої школи було оголошено провідниками буржуазної ідеології. Particularly harsh were criticised such scientists as O. Novytskyi, P. Kurinnyi, F. Ernst and others.
The next attemt to create a city museum was made in 1960. Then, at the State Historical Museum, they founded the Commission of Kyiv researchers, among whose were: writers M. Rylskyi, S. Skliarenko, M. Ushakov; scientists I. Ihnatkin and V. Sarbey; museum workers V. Tkachenko and A. Halaichuk and other figures in science and culture.
Finally, in November 1978, Ukrainian Government decided to create the Museum of Kyiv History. For visitors Museum was opened in the Klovkyi palace on May, 26, 1982. In 2004 exposition was dismantled and the Museum itself was transported to «Ukrainian House» («Ukrainskyi Dim»), where it is located till nowadays.
In 2012 was opened the Exhibition Center of the Museum in the bulding, located on Bohdana Khmelnytskoho street, 7. There was located the exhibition, named «Kyiv and Kyivans through the centuries». But, with the beginning of the full scale Russian-Ukrainian war, the museum exposition was closed and disassembled. Today, in the Exhibition Center of the Museum, from time to time, museum workers build thematic historical and art exhibitions, conduct educational programs to introduce children and adults with various interesting periods from the Kyiv history.
Today Museum of Kyiv History has 10 affiliates, where museum workers also hold exhibitions, meetings and master classes. In modern conditions, they bacame spaces of institutional preservation of collective memory. For almost half a century of the Museum’s existence, its collection has increased significantly. For now the total number of museum artifacts is more than 300 000. The museum collection reflects multifaceted life of the large and ancient city. All the artifacts characterize historical events and life of Kyivans since the existance of earliest settlements till the present days. Even though the Museum has 10 affiliates, but, unfortunately, does not has its own building. All the affiliates not only preserve and popularize historical and cultural artifacts, but also actively contribute to the formation of national identity.
The role of the city museum today is to reinterpret the history of city, and, at the same time, to collect materials about the present events: about Kyivans as participants of the Russian-Ukrainian war, volunteers, doctors and rescue services. Very important material is testimony of Kyivans about their everyday life during the war. The Museum of Kyiv History also actively cooperates with other museums not just in Kyiv, but in the whole country.