The National Museum of Ukrainian History, Kiev

The National Museum of the History of Ukraine offers a comprehensive overview of the country’s past, from prehistoric times to the modern era. Founded in 1904, the museum began with private archaeological collections and gained government support in 1909. Its exhibits were moved to the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra in 1935 and evacuated to Ufa during World War II, before returning to Kyiv in 1944, where it remains today on Starokyivska Hill.

Covering over 9,000 years of history, the museum traces Ukraine’s story from the Trypillya settlements (circa 7000 B.C.), through the Greek and Scythian periods, the rise of Kyivan Rus, the Cossack era, and the Soviet period, up to Ukraine’s recent independence. Modern exhibits explore the country’s political and cultural transformation, including displays on the Orange Revolution and contemporary national movements.

With more than 800,000 artifacts, the museum’s collections include rare coins, weaponry, manuscripts, folk costumes, and archaeological treasures. Highlights feature fine glass and porcelain, ethnographic items, and personal belongings of notable figures such as Serge Lifar, the celebrated Ukrainian ballet dancer known as “the god of dance.”

Renamed the National Museum of the History of Ukraine after independence in 1991, the institution adopted the name “MIST” in 2020—meaning “bridge” in Ukrainian—to reflect its mission of linking the nation’s past and future. Recognized as one of Kyiv’s leading cultural landmarks, the museum provides visitors with a deep understanding of Ukraine’s historical resilience and cultural heritage.