VR-tour Museum of Outstanding Figures of Ukrainian Culture

Museum of Outstanding Figures of Ukrainian Culture

On Saksahanskoho Street 93-97, there is an incredible place – the Museum of Prominent Figures of Ukrainian Culture, dedicated to Lesya Ukrainka, Mykola Lysenko, Panas Saksahansky, and Mykhailo Starytsky. At the beginning of the 20th century, the families of Lesya Ukrainka, Mykola Lysenko, and Mykhailo Starytsky deliberately settled near this location. Later, Panas Saksahansky also came to live here, and even Ivan Franko visited when he came to Kyiv.

Since then, this corner of Kyiv has truly become a unique center of Ukrainian spiritual life, and contemporaries began to call it the Ukrainian Parnassus. Today, the Museum of Prominent Figures is a unique historical and artistic space in the heart of Kyiv. Visitors can immerse themselves in an era that is over a century old and experience the atmosphere in which the most famous Ukrainian artists of the late 19th century lived and worked.

The Museum of Lesya Ukrainka

The Lesya Ukrainka Museum in Kyiv has existed since the early 1960s.

In the summer of 1899, the Kosach family rented a residence consisting of 5 rooms on the first floor of the right wing of a house owned by retired Engineer-Captain Mykola Serhiyovych Khitrovo. From then on, the entire decade of Lesya Ukrainka's family life was associated with this address in Kyiv. The walls of the memorial house still preserve the memory of the outstanding poetess. In Kyiv, Lesya Ukrainka made frequent visits despite her incurable disease at the time, tuberculosis, which forced her to seek treatment often and spend the cold seasons in warmer places. She only stayed in our city during the autumn-winter seasons of 1899-1901 and 1905-1907. The Kosach household in Kyiv was always bustling with friends, like-minded individuals, and visitors from the editorial offices of the journals "Ridnyi Kray" and "Moloda Ukraina," whose editorial office was located in the same building because Olena Pchilka was the chief editor of these periodicals. The older Kosach children received their education and worked in different cities, periodically visiting their relatives with their own families.

Currently, there is an exhibition of the Kosach family's memorial apartment, which has preserved everything as it was: original interiors, furniture, and household items of the family. On the second floor, there is a literary exhibition about the life and creative journey of the writer.

The Museum of Mykola Lysenko

The exhibition of the Mykola Lysenko Museum has been well known to Kyiv residents since 1980. Mykola Lysenko settled in the house at 95 Mariinsko-Blahovishchenska Street (which was called Saksahanskoho Street at that time) in 1894 and spent the last 18 years of his life there. The composer's family rented the second floor of the building. It was here that his children grew up, court cases shaped the paths of artists and public figures, and students and ordinary people found in the host a sincere friend, advisor, and like-minded person. The composer's major works were written within the walls of this building.

The exposition of the Mykola Lysenko Museum highlights the life and creative journey of the composer. In the memorial part, which consists of a vestibule, three rooms, and a veranda, you can see how the composer lived in this house, his personal belongings, and a collection of antique musical instruments.

Museum of Mykhailo Starytsky

In this building, Mykhailo Starytskyi, along with his wife Sofiia Vitaliivna, elder daughter Maria, and son Yuriy, settled in 1901 and spent the last three years of his life here. Right across from his father's apartment, his second daughter, the playwright and writer Liudmyla Starytska-Chernyakhivska, also lived, making the entire second floor essentially one household owned by the Starytskyi family.

The Mykhailo Starytskyi Museum's exhibition consists of the writer's memorial apartment, where you can see items, rare photographs, and manuscripts that belonged to the playwright during his lifetime. Additionally, there is a thematic section called "Continuation of Family Traditions," which tells the story of the life and work of his descendants.

Exhibition «Ivan Franko and Kyiv»

Also in this building, there is an exhibition titled "Ivan Franko and Kyiv," which presents the future museum of the Ukrainian Prometheus.

In the mid-1880s, Ivan Franko's contacts with representatives of the Ukrainian intelligentsia of the Dnieper region strengthened, aided by the writer's first visit to our city. And during his second visit to Kyiv in 1886, Ivan Franko married Olha Khoruzhynska. In Ukrainian circles, this event was seen as having not only personal but also symbolic significance: the union of Galicia and the Dnieper region.

Although Ivan Franko visited Kyiv only three times, each of these visits had a truly momentous impact on his life. The life of the writer's descendants, sons Taras and Petro Franko, and daughter Anna Franko-Klyuchko, was also connected with the capital.

The permanent exhibition is dedicated to the friendly relations and close cooperation in the creative and public life of Ivan Yakovych with figures from the Dnieper region of Ukraine and his three visits to Kyiv.

Exhibition of Panas Saksagansky

Currently in the spotlight is the creation of the Panas Saksahanskyi Museum. The exhibition about the life and work of Saksahanskyi is planned to be located in building No. 96 on Zhylianska Street after its restoration. It was in this building that the renowned actor and theatrical figure lived from 1912 until his death.

Panas Karpovych Saksahanskyi (real surname - Tobilevych) is a figure who has left a mark on the history of Ukrainian culture as an outstanding actor, director, theoretician of stage art, and one of the founders of Ukrainian professional theater. He was born on May 15, 1859, into the family of the manager of a noble estate, Karp Tobilevych. He was the youngest child in a family that gave Ukrainian art a whole constellation of prominent figures: Ivan Tobilevych, known as playwright Ivan Karpenko-Karyi, Mykola Tobilevych, an actor and director, and his sister Maria Sadovska-Barilotti, a talented actress and singer.

Portrait of Panas Saksahansky

Portrait of Panas Saksahansky (Tobilevich) by artist Mykola Uvarov, 1925. M. Kuznetsov. P.K.

Throughout his illustrious theatrical career, Panas Saksahansky portrayed more than 100 characters, with each role marked by uniqueness and masterful performance. He elucidated the fundamental tenets of his craft in his autobiographical work, "My Work on the Role." Saksahansky excelled in the art of transformation, the delivery of lines, and was a true virtuoso of makeup, which he considered paramount in crafting a stage persona. He habitually arrived at the theater two hours before a performance, meticulously preparing his characters. His transformations extended beyond his facial appearance, often involving the use of prosthetics, padding, and more. The presented portraits vividly demonstrate the artist's extraordinary ability to alter his appearance.

Ashtray «Fly»

Listen to Mykola Lysenko's works performed by the author

Portrait of Mykola Lysenko

A portrait of Mykola Lysenko was presented to the artist in Lviv during the jubilee celebrations in 1903. The author of this portrait was Lviv artist and academician Yosyp Kurilas. The allegorical frame for the portrait was created by Lemko woodcarver Stepan Hoyda. This portrait graced the stage of the People's House during the jubilee festivities. Mykola Vitaliyovych held this portrait in high regard and, according to family recollections, personally placed it in its current location in the living room.

Commemorative piano from «Bluthner»

In 1889, Lysenko acquired a commemorative piano from "Bluthner," purchased at the Khreshchatyk store. This 134-year-old instrument underwent restoration in 2002 and now once again resounds at its full capacity.

Kropivnitsky was a frequent visitor to Lysenko's home. He would sing and recite the works of Taras Shevchenko, play the bandura, and even served as the godfather to Galina's daughter. Lysenko's children all received musical education and each had their own instruments that Lysenko rented for them. After composing new pieces on the nighttime terrace, Mykola Vitaliyovych would first play them on the piano in his study, and the completed works would then be performed on the "Bluthner" grand piano.

Fragment of the piano score of the opera "Taras Bulba," a manuscript by M. Lysenko.

  "Taras Bulba" stands as Lysenko's most significant opera, a labor of over 10 years (1880-1890). The libretto, based on M. Gogol's novella, was penned by M. Starytsky during the summer of 1880 at his estate in Karpivka. The final touches to the piano score of "Taras Bulba" were meticulously crafted by Mykola Lysenko himself within the walls of this very house at 95 Maryinsky-Annunciation Street. Despite the composer's lifetime, the opera never graced the stage of a theater. However, in 1919, L. Kurbas (director), L. Shteynberg (conductor), and A. Petritsky (set designer) meticulously prepared the inaugural theatrical production of Lysenko's "Taras Bulba" for the Ukrainian Music Drama Theater. Regrettably, when Denikin captured Kyiv, the theater succumbed to flames. Only costume sketches from this production survived. The illustrious character of Taras Bulba was masterfully brought to life by the celebrated bass singer I.S. Patorzhinsky, while the role of Nastya was elegantly performed by the renowned opera singer M.I. Lytvynenko-Volhemut.

Bandura - a traditional musical instrument in Ukraine, from Mykola Lysenko's own collection.

In the territory of Ukraine, the bandura was popular in the 17th-19th centuries. It was played not only by musicians at noble courts and palaces but also by prominent magnates and Cossack leaders. During the era of the Hetmanate, the bandura enjoyed great prestige.

Lysenko described this instrument in detail in one of his scientific articles. "The bandura had a stern epic character," Lysenko wrote, "foreign to it was the harmony of the spiritual psalm of the bandura and kobza, or, generally, the song of a spiritual or religious content." The bandura's repertoire mainly consisted of songs, romances, and character pieces.

According to legend, Ivan Mazepa was a virtuoso bandura player who composed music and wrote beautiful poems for the instrument. A bandura belonging to our Hetman Petro Doroshenko is preserved in Dresden, in the museum.

Lysenko's wheel lyre.

Photo: The Lysenko and Starytsky Families. Kyiv, 1880s.

Nastasia Zakharivna, the mother of M. Starytsky, belonged to the noble Cossack family of the Lysenkos. After becoming an orphan at the age of 12, M. Starytsky was raised in the family of Vitaliy Romanovych Lysenko, who was a second cousin of M. Starytsky's mother.

In the photo: seated in the center are Vitaliy Romanovych and Olha Yeremiivna Lysenko, the elders. To the left is M. Starytsky, and to the right is their daughter, Sofiya, who was already married to M. Starytsky at the time. This marked the second familial connection between the Lysenko and Starytsky families. Standing behind Sofiya are her elder brothers, Mykola and Andriy Lysenko. Next to M. Starytsky is Olha Lypska, the second wife of Mykola Lysenko. A profound friendship and enduring creative collaboration bound Mykhailo Starytsky and his third cousin, Mykola Lysenko, throughout their lives.

Photo: Amateur Production of "Christmas Night" (music by M.V. Lysenko, libretto and direction by M.P. Starytsky), Kyiv.

The photo montage, displayed in the home of the writer and playwright, showcases amateur actors involved in the staging of M. Starytsky's play "Christmas Night" in the early 1870s, based on the work by N. Gogol. This play preceded the 1874 production of the opera "Christmas Night," which became the first Ukrainian opera performance on a grand stage.

M. Starytsky's involvement in theater extended beyond this production. In 1883, he sold his estate in Podillia, including a dry goods factory with its own building in Kurenivka, and invested the proceeds into funding the first Ukrainian artistic troupe led by director Marko Kropyvnytsky. Thanks to M. Starytsky's efforts, Ukrainian theater achieved a remarkable level of professionalism for the first time. The professional Ukrainian theater of the 1880s and 1890s later earned the moniker "Theater of the Titans" in history.

B. Bust of Goethe (Mid-19th century), Bas-relief of William Shakespeare (Author unknown, Second half of the 19th century), Bas-relief of Adam Mickiewicz (Author unknown, 1798-1855).

Much like in Mykhailo Starytsky's lifetime, the wall bears the bust of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and bas-reliefs of William Shakespeare and Adam Mickiewicz – beloved authors of the writer, whose works he also translated into Ukrainian. In total, Mykhailo Starytsky translated around 200 works, and some of them caused a sensation in the latter half of the 19th century.

During that period, many regarded the Ukrainian language as nothing more than a "domestic language," leading them to doubt its ability to convey the most famous examples of European drama, prose, and poetry.

THIS STONE-CARVED VASE, brought to Egypt by Lesya Ukrainka in 1913, raises intrigue.

In the memoirs of the writer's student, Mykola Okhrimenko, who accompanied her on excursions, there is a mention of Lesya Ukrainka's intention to acquire souvenirs she considered "antiques" only after encountering genuine counterparts in the showcases of the Cairo Museum. Hence, it is likely that this vase is a replica inspired by one of the Egyptian antiquities that captivated the writer during her visit.

Reproduction of the painting "Sistine Madonna"

Adorning Lesya Ukrainka's memorial writing desk (bureau) is a reproduction of the renowned Italian Renaissance painting, "SISTINE MADONNA", crafted by the celebrated artist Raphael Sanzio (1483–1520).

This replica held significant sentimental value as it was a gift from Lesya Ukrainka's dear friend, Serhiy Merzhynskyi, with whom a poignant episode of her life is intertwined. An inscription on the back of the painting reads, "In memory of the time spent together. 6-9/II 1900 S. Merzhynskyi," and it was presented to her prior to her departure from Minsk, where she had a brief visit. Regrettably, only the first three words of the inscription have endured the passage of time. According to Olha Kosach-Kryvyniuk's account, Lesya Ukrainka cherished this gift and carried it with her on all her journeys.

Stereoscope

A stereoscope is an optical binocular device used for viewing "three-dimensional," stereoscopic photographs, similar to modern 3D images. According to the recollections of Izidora Kosach-Borysova, this device had been in the Kosach family since her childhood, dating back to the mid-1890s.

Mykhailo, the older son of the Kosach family, was involved in stereophotography, and later, his wife, Olexandra (the writer Grytsko Hryhorenko), continued the practice. Documentary stereoscopic photographs have been preserved in the Kosach family archive.

Wedding attire artifacts of the Kosach fam

In the initial hall of the literary section within Lesya Ukrainka's museum exhibition, visitors can marvel at relics linked to the wedding ceremony of the poetess's parents, which are more than 150 years old! These items include the bridal wreath and three petite bouquets of artificial flowers (painstakingly crafted from materials such as paper, wax, wire, and elegantly adorned with silk ribbons), alongside a marriage certificate. The certificate signifies that on July 22, 1868, Petro Antonovych Kosach and Olha Petrovna Dragomanova were joined in matrimony at the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in the village of Pyrohovo, Kyiv County. The witnesses to this union were their like-minded friends, esteemed members of the "Old Community": Volodymyr Antonovych, Mykhailo Dragomanov, Vasyl and Oleksandr Kistiakovskis. As chronicled in Olena Pchilka's memoirs, Mykola Lysenko proudly held the wreath above Olha's head.

Gift to Mykhailo Drahomanov: Lesya Ukrainka's necklace 

In 1894, in Lviv, the thirtieth anniversary of Mykhailo Drahomanov's scientific and public activities was celebrated with great solemnity. Numerous greetings and gifts were sent to the jubilarian in Sofia, where he resided in exile due to the pressures and persecutions of the Russian imperial authorities. Among the gifts was a neck wrap, known as a "nakidka," designed for a pillow, meticulously signed as "from Ukrainian women of the NN region." Delicately embroidered in white-on-white along its perimeter, the wrap bore the following inscription:

Like a dream, your head will bow,
In a foreign and distant land,
May this wrap shield you
From harm at an unhappy hour.

Within the wrap, the initials of the jubilarian, "М. Д.," were also discernible.

Since white-on-white embroidery is a traditional style originating from Poltava, it is plausible to assume that artisans from Mykhailo Drahomanov's hometown of Hadiach crafted this gift. In 1991, Mykhailo Drahomanov's granddaughter, Natalia Drahomanova-Bartai, who visited Kyiv from Hungary to commemorate the 150th anniversary of her grandfather's birth, generously donated this cherished family relic to the museum, where it now stands as a prominent exhibit.

Adjacent to it on the left is another memorial item on display: a beaded necklace that once belonged to Lesya Ukrainka. In 1875, while traveling through Bukovyna, Mykhailo Drahomanov brought back traditional souvenirs from the region—beaded necklaces, which he gifted to both his wife and sister. Over time, not only did the daughters of Liudmyla Drahomanova and Olena Pchilka lovingly wear these necklaces, also known as "chokers" or "siyanky," but, as noted by Mykhailo Drahomanov, "my lady relatives later introduced this fashion in Ukraine."

Triptych "A Moment of Eternity Joins the Ages in Sleep"

Triptych "A Moment of Eternity Joins the Ages in Sleep". Artist: Pavlo Taranenko. Wood, Wax. Encaustic. 1995.

The world of Lesya Ukrainka's drama and the profound philosophical themes of her work are vividly represented in the art of contemporary artist Pavlo Taranenko. The composition incorporates fragments from frescoes, bas-reliefs, sculptures, and architectural monuments, creating a unique parallel series of quotations from works of art from ancient Greece, Egypt, and Italy — places Lesya Ukrainka might have encountered during her travels. The composition is replete with symbolism and images related to the writer's works and the creative process itself, providing a pathway to understanding the realm of the playwright.

Everything will merge into a whole — the nature and people,
What exists, what has passed, what has happened, what will be,
And the familiar and the foreign will unite closely
And will live in my thoughts undivided,
The enmity and the pain will forever cease,
Shame of slavery will no longer touch,
An end will come to all my torments —
And this will be the crown of diligent work.

Lesya Ukrainka