Museums of Ukraine: a guide to the country's cultural map

While preserving the memory of the past, Ukraine's museums are changing together with society: they introduce digital technologies, create interactive displays and look for new ways to engage with visitors, including audio guides and multimedia formats.

Their role has long gone beyond preserving historical artefacts. Today museums help us make sense of the past, explore culture and discover little-known pages of history that shaped Ukrainian identity.

The list of Ukraine's museums is so broad and diverse that art lovers, history enthusiasts and those fascinated by science and technology can all find something of interest.

A map of meanings: the kinds of museums in Ukraine

Ukraine's museum network brings together state museums of Ukraine with collections of national importance and municipal museums that preserve the history, traditions and cultural features of their regions.

The first step towards getting to know the country is often history and local history museums. Their collections include archaeological finds, documents, household items and other evidence of the past.

Art museums open up the world of painting, sculpture and decorative art, from early icon painting to contemporary exhibition projects and new artistic practices.

Literary and memorial museums help you get closer to the lives and work of writers, artists, scientists and other outstanding Ukrainians. Many of them are located in the houses where the people who shaped Ukraine lived and worked.

Open-air museums, or skansens, show what everyday life was like in different parts of the country. They recreate traditional homes, farm buildings and crafts, immersing visitors in the atmosphere of past centuries.

Those interested in inventions, space, natural phenomena or the development of science should look at science, technology and natural history museums. Here classic collections are increasingly combined with interactive displays and experiments.

Ukraine's private museums are no less interesting. They often arise from the passion of collectors and researchers and introduce visitors to topics and objects rarely seen in large museum institutions.

The most interesting museums of Ukraine and where to find them

Museums help you see each region of Ukraine in its own way, through its history, culture and people.

We will help you find your way through this diversity with handy selections by city and region, including not only well-known museums of Ukraine but also local museum spaces with unique stories and collections.

Ukraine's largest museums are traditionally concentrated in major cultural centres.

Kyiv remains the country's main museum hub, with more than 100 museums of various kinds, from national history and art collections to contemporary exhibition spaces.

If you don't know where to start exploring the capital's displays, take a look at our selection of the 10 most interesting museums in Kyiv.

Lviv is also a city with a well-developed museum network. It has more than 40 museums, and the cultural experience goes beyond classic displays: some spaces introduce the city through the smell of coffee, the taste of chocolate or stories of old Lviv. You can also read our selection of Lviv museums on the blog.

The museums of Odesa reveal the multicultural history of southern Ukraine through art, archaeological and literary collections. Here you can trace how the port city developed at the crossroads of different cultures, trade routes and traditions.

The museums of Kharkiv tell about the development of science, literature and art in one of Ukraine's leading intellectual centres. Dnipro combines museums of recent history and the space industry with unique collections, including Ukraine's largest collection of Cuman stone statues.

Museums by region of Ukraine

Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast and Bukovyna attract visitors with old architecture, folk crafts and picturesque Carpathian landscapes. Ternopil Oblast is known for its medieval castles and one of the longest gypsum caves in the world.

Fortresses, old towns and a multicultural heritage are the hallmarks of Podillia and Volyn. This is where the Kamianets-Podilskyi Fortress, one of Ukraine's best-known historical monuments, stands.

The museums of Zaporizhzhia, Poltava and Cherkasy regions reveal pages of Cossack history, culinary traditions, folk crafts and outstanding Ukrainians.

Legends of the princely era, ancient towns and the heritage of Polissia come alive in the museums of Ukraine's northern regions.

Browse our selections of museums via the links:

• Museums of Kyiv
• Museums of Kyiv Oblast
• Museums of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast
• Museums of Lviv Oblast
• Museums of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast
• Museums of Kharkiv Oblast
• Museums of Khmelnytskyi Oblast
• Museums of Sumy Oblast
• Museums of Donetsk Oblast
• Museums of Chernihiv Oblast
• Museums of Zaporizhzhia Oblast
• Museums of Ternopil Oblast
• Museums of Volyn Oblast
• Museums of Odesa Oblast
• Museums of Rivne Oblast
• Museums of Kherson Oblast
• Museums of Cherkasy Oblast
• Museums of Zhytomyr Oblast
• Museums of Zakarpattia Oblast
• Museums of Vinnytsia Oblast
• Museums of Poltava Oblast
• Museums of Chernivtsi Oblast
• Museums of Luhansk Oblast
• Museums of Mykolaiv Oblast
• Museums of Kirovohrad Oblast

Museum Ukraine: the journey is just beginning

If you have read this far, you have already taken the first step towards getting to know Ukrainian heritage.

You can set yourself the goal of visiting every museum in Ukraine, or start with the one closest to you or most in line with your interests. Every trip, new exhibition or unexpected find in a museum hall helps you understand the country and yourself better.

Bookmark this article: it will be regularly updated with new guides and selections about the museums of Ukraine. Many interesting discoveries lie ahead.