May 18 – International Museum Day!

Dear colleagues, visitors and everyone involved in today’s holiday! The team of the National Conservation Area “St. Sophia of Kyiv” sincerely congratulates you on the International Museum Day!

This year, the professional holiday of museum workers is overshadowed by invaluable losses. It is difficult to even estimate how many architectural and cultural monuments Ukraine lost during the war. The Kuindzhi Art Museum in Mariupol was destroyed by a direct hit by an air bomb. The Museum of Antiquities in Chernihiv was damaged during enemy shelling. Okhtyrka City Museum of Local Lore – broken windows, damaged walls, destroyed roof…

Ivankiv Historical and Local History Museum burned down. The occupiers destroyed the Hryhorii Skovoroda National Museum of by a direct missile strike.

There is no doubt that all this was done deliberately to destroy our cultural heritage. After all, museums are a majestic repository of priceless relics of the people. We have to keep the cultural front! Actively looking for means of protection of cultural heritage, digitalization, evacuation of the most valuable exhibits – this is our present.

We believe that all crimes will be recorded and museums will be rebuilt. We wish you success in your work, expansion of museum collections and replenishment of scientific achievements! Working for victory! Happy holiday!