The museum was founded in 1987. The basis for its creation was the fact that at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, the families of famous figures of the Ukrainian movement lived in close proximity – Lesya Ukrainka, Nikolai Lysenko, Mikhail Staritsky, Panas Saksagansky. Museum exhibitions are housed in memorial houses that have survived to this day; they are the boundaries of the museum territory, which has been assigned the status of a protected zone. The museum’s interiors have been recreated as they were during the lives of famous residents.
The family of the poetess Lesya Ukrainka lived in the house on Saksaganskogo 97 from 1899 to 1909. Lesya Ukrainka’s mother is the famous writer, ethnographer, cultural and public figure Elena Pchelka. Uncle is a famous scientist, historian and philosopher Mikhail Drahomanov. Nearby, in house No. 95, lived the composer, public and cultural figure Nikolai Lysenko. On the same street, in house No. 93, playwright and theater figure Mikhail Staritsky lived with his family. These families were united by an interest in the Ukrainian idea, thanks to which they created a cultural zone in this territory, which representatives of the Ukrainian movement of that time called Ukrainian Parnassus.
The structure and composition of the museum are logically determined by important historical events in Ukrainian-language culture, closely related to the formation and self-awareness of the Ukrainian nation. The general strategy for the development of the museum is the formation of a kind of Ukrainian center on the reserved museum territory, which would represent the acquisition of Ukrainian-language culture. In the context of the cultural activities of the museum – literature, musical art, theater, and folk art. The museum’s collection is constantly being replenished; it contains many exhibits that are valuable to those who love the culture of Ukraine.
Literary and musical evenings, which are held as part of the meetings of the museum club “Family”, and the competition of young poets “Nadezhda” are popular. The competition for young artists “Vision” and the annual scientific seminar “The role of outstanding personalities – scientists and cultural figures in the process of forming national identity” were founded. The restoration of Ukrainian Parnassus provides for the creation of theater and cinema halls, a technically equipped library, and a summer amphitheater for concerts.
Not long ago, the Museum of Outstanding Figures of Ukrainian Culture included two more museums: Panas Saksagansky and Ivan Franko.
The exhibition of the Panas Saksagansky Museum was placed in the memorial house No. 96 on Zhilyanskaya Street, where the famous actor and theater figure, a representative of the Tobilevich family, lived from 1912 until his death in 1940. Almost all the things that surrounded Saksagansky during his life, documents, epistolary inheritance, photographs, paintings have been preserved…
The Museum “Ivan Franko and Kyiv” was founded in August 2006 by decree of the President of Ukraine. Since December 2007, it has been located in house No. 93B on Saksaganskogo Street. This house belonged to M. Gvozdik, as did house 95B, where Nikolai Lysenko lived. The premises for the creation of the museum were chosen here because Ivan Franko maintained close and constant relations with the figures of the Ukrainian movement represented in the museum complex. The museum’s exhibition tells about Franco’s three visits to Kyiv in 1885, 1886 and 1909.
Where is the museum of outstanding figures of Ukrainian culture?
All museums are open from 10:00 to 17:00
Lesya Ukrainka Museum
Saksaganskogo street, 97
289-16-51
day off – Tuesday
Nikolai Lysenko Museum
Saksaganskogo street, 95
289-02-91
day off – Monday
Mikhail Staritsky Museum
Saksaganskogo street, 93
284-37-63
day off – Tuesday