Art Museum
National Art Museum of Ukraine
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
National Art Museum of Ukraine is an art museum in Kyiv, Ukraine.
About National Art Museum of Ukraine
Overview & Identity
The National Art Museum of Ukraine (Natsional'nyi khudozhnii muzei Ukrainy) functions as the central art museum of Ukraine, dedicated to the preservation and exhibition of the nation's artistic heritage from the 12th century to the present. The institution is organized into three primary sections: old Ukrainian art, 19th- and early-20th-century Ukrainian art, and 20th-century Ukrainian art. It holds a collection of approximately 40,000 items, serving as a comprehensive repository for the country's visual history, including rare icons, portraits, folk paintings, and modern works.
History & Founding
The museum's origins date to 1936, when the holdings of the All-Ukrainian Historical Museum were divided into separate historical and artistic collections. The artistic portion became the Kyiv State Museum of Ukrainian Art, which was renamed the Kyiv Museum of Ukrainian Art in 1953. A branch dedicated to Ukrainian folk art, later the Kyiv Museum of Ukrainian Decorative Folk Art, was part of the institution from 1954 to 1964. Following Ukrainian independence, the museum was granted national status in 1994 and assumed its current name, the National Art Museum of Ukraine.
Building & Architecture
The museum is housed in a building constructed in the Neoclassical style between 1897 and 1900. The project was executed by architects Vladyslav Horodetsky and G. Boitsov, with interior decoration by Elia Sal. To accommodate the growing collection, the building was significantly enlarged in 1972, a renovation that doubled the available exhibition area. The structure stands as a notable example of early 20th-century museum architecture in Kyiv.
Collection Highlights & Significance
The collection features rare 12th- to 18th-century works, including the 14th-century Volhynian Mother of God icon and 17th-century portraits of Cossack leaders. The 19th and early 20th-century section includes works by Taras Shevchenko, Dmytro Levytsky, Volodymyr Borovykovsky, and landscapes by Serhii Vasylkivsky. The largest section covers Soviet art, featuring revolutionary posters and works by Mykhailo Boichuk, Oleksander Bohomazov, and Tetiana Yablonska. The museum is significant for its comprehensive representation of Ukrainian art history, from medieval icons to contemporary pieces.
What to see at National Art Museum of Ukraine
Start with The Kiss by Vsevolod Maximovich.
Plan your visit
National Art Museum of Ukraine
- Website
- www.namu.ua
What's on
- Website development — eMuseum .From 24 Feb 2022
- “Futuromarennia: Ukraine and the avant-garde” (Belgium)From 19 Mar 2024
- Exhibition “Needle work” by Anastasiia PodervianskaFrom 10 May 2024
- In the Eye of the Storm. Secession in Ukraine (Slovakia)From 26 Jun 2024
- “In the Eye of the Storm. Modernism in Ukraine” (Great Britain)From 29 Jun 2024
- Multimedia exhibition “How do you Dance in a War Zone?”From 4 Jul 2024
- VR-exhibition “Ukrainian portrait of the 17th-20th centuries”From 10 Oct 2024
- «Origins» exhibition jointly with NMHUFrom 17 Oct 2024
- The exhibition “In the Eye of the Storm. Secession in Ukraine”From 2 Dec 2024
- "In the Eye of the Storm: Modernism in Ukraine, 1900s–1930s"From 18 Feb 2025
- NAMU presents an exhibition project by contemporary artist Nikita Kadan. The exhibition will be on viewFrom 18 May 2025
- Exhibition Project "Siren Sickle Satellite" by Nikita KadanFrom 17 Mar 2025
- Opening of the Exhibition by Serhiy Pustovyi: "In the Face of Crimea"From 21 Apr 2025
- “Different Places”. Part 2From 24 Nov 2025