Press Museum in Ukraine
Ukraine House in partnership with Ukrainian Development Foundation is raising money for an important initiative to complete the creation and preserve a unique Museum - Archive of Press in Kyiv, Ukraine – a testament to Ukrainian true identity and long rooted tradition of freedom of press.
Mission of the Museum
Collect and preserve printed Ukrainian language media, enable historians and researches to work with them and organize exhibitions and expositions to learn, preserve and share Ukrainian heritage as well as long rooted traditions of free press among Ukrainians in Ukraine since printing started as well as in Ukrainian communities in many countries where there were strong Ukrainians communities in USA and other coutries. The main collection of the Museum is based on the private collection of Vakhtang Kipiani who is the curator of the Museum. The Museum was opened in 2014 in the rented office and during the opening the exhibition “ For Ukraine and its Freedom” depicting Ukraine’s fight for freedom since 1929 was presented. Museum- Archive operates due to donors and volunteers. The Collection is formed by donations of the press as well as a number of volunteers make the catalogs and digitalization of the collection. Oksana Markarova has being main sponsor of the Museum since 2013 donating for the rent of the premises as well as renovations and operational expenses of the Museum.
Collection of the Museum
The collection today already has more than 20 thousand different newspapers and journals. All the items are related to Ukraine’s history:
• Newspapers of 19-20 century, the first Ukrainian newspapers “Zorya Halytska” (The Star of Halych), Easter Ukrainian newspaper “Khliborob” (Breadgrower) etc;
• Newspapers issued in 1917—1920 by Ukrainian National Republic (UNR) Directoria, Acting Army of the UNR, Hetman government, newspapers issued by OUN in 1941;
• Underground press of 1960s;
• Self-printed issues by dissidents as well as books and newspapers issued outside of Ukraine in 1970;
• Press during the Perestroyka time in 1985-1990.
Among the most valuable pieces are Litavry newspaper edited by Olena Teliha, first issue of the Ukrainian newspaper “Zorya Halytska”.
Importance of the Museum of Press for Ukraine
Excellent selfless work of Vakhtang Kipiani to find and return to Ukraine true history of Ukraine
through the press items issued both in Ukraine and ourside of Ukraine - in diaspora and under
occupation, books and videos of the “Istorychna Pravda” (Historic truth) as well as recent most
famous books as Kipiani’s book about Vasyl Stus will not only open the truth to Ukrainians
everywhere, but also share it to the world and preserve it to the future generation. Digitalizing it
and making the full electronic archive of the Museum will preserve it from the russian aggression
which specifically target Ukrainian heritage and miseums.
The total funding need for the initiative
The total need for the Museum is quite large, however even partial donations would make a huge difference for the museum. The donations from individuals or corporations could be done in a form of charitable contribution to Ukraine House DC Foundation, which is non-partisan non-for-profit organization (501(c)3).