Taras Shevchenko Museum, Kiev

The Taras Shevchenko Museum in Kiev is devoted exclusively to the life and work of one of Ukraine's main cultural figures, Taras (Grigorievich) Shevchenko, renowned bard and artist. The museum is found on the street with the same name, and contains about 4,000 exhibits, each of which has its own story and particular charm. Visitors can see the tools (writing utensils and painting accessories) used by Shevchenko, original paintings, sketches, pictures of the poet, his friends and family, as well as manuscripts, original books and autographs.

The items are displayed in a chronological order and arranged into three sections, namely: the Fate, the Muse, and the Glory. The Fate section contains personal belongings of the poet from his early years. Among them particularly interesting is the log of births with the poet’s entry in it and the portrait by Karl Brullov. The Muse section features graphic and literary heritage of Taras Shevchenko, whereas the Glory commemorates him as a great national poet (Ukrainian: kobzar) and painter.

The museum is housed in the building in which Shevchenko lived and worked, while in Kiev, during the 1840s. The building was renovated by the local authorities to resemble the original look of the mid 19th century. The collection was first opened to the public on November 10th, 1928.