West region
пр. Свободи, 20
м. Львів
Phone: +380 322 358 846, +380 322 358 856
Fax: +380 322 358 849
E-mail: ,
Brought into being at the beginning of the 20th century – at the crest of national cultural renaissance in Ukraine – creation and opening of the Museum was in the high light of the international press in Russia, Poland, Germany, France, Italy, USA.
Professor Ilarion Svientsitsky (1876-1956), an outstanding historian, philologist, art critic, who became the first curator and long-time director of the Museum (1905-1952) was at the head of managing and supervision of the collections as well as their scientific, systematic formation. He was assisted by the Ukrainian public and especially by the famous scholars, artists and public figures such as Ivan Franko, Vasyl` Shchurat, Volodymyr Shukhevych, Yosyp Botsian, Mykhailo Pavlyk, Mykhailo Hrushevsky, Ivan Trush, Oleksa Novakivsky, Solomiya Krushelnytska and other who actively contributed to the development of the Museum.
At present the Museum is one of the largest centers of save-keeping, study and promotion of Ukrainian art heritage in Ukraine and in the world (over 150 000 items).
The Museum boasts the most complete and the largest in Ukraine collection of Ukrainian medieval sacral art of the 12th –18th centuries. It reveals from the remote past artistic culture of Ukraine delivered in the originals of ancient epochs. Assemblage of icons of the 12th – 18th centuries (over 4 000 artifacts) makes up the most valuable part of the Museum’s overall collection, pieces of the so called “Golden Age” of Ukrainian icon-painting included (i.e. “St. George the Dragon-slayer” 14th c. from Stanylia, “The Archangel Michael with Scenes Illustrating his Acts” 14th c. from Storonna, “St. Parasceve Friday” 14th c. from Isayi, “The Virgin Hodigitria” 14th c. from Isayi and of the 15th c. from Krasiv and other).
Valuable samples of writing culture (11th – 18th cc.) are represented in the assemblage of manuscripts and rare books – to name but a few: Buchach Gospels (early 13th c.), “Antiochus Codes of Law” (1307), Cyrillic rare books, including first editions by Shvaipolt Fiol, Francisc Skoryna, Ivan Fedorov and other. .
In the Museum are kept unique collections of graphics (over 30 000 pieces), sculpture, folk art (over 30 000 artifacts). In the subgroup of oil-paintings of the 19th- early 20th cc. there are art works by classics of Ukrainian Fine arts – T.Shevchenko, T.Kopystynsky, K. Ustyianovych, S.Vasylkivsky, I.Trush, O.Kulchytska, O.Novakivsky. Variegated collection of contemporary painting and sculpture is also extensively represented.
The permanent and temporary exhibitions as well as cultural artistic events held in the Museum are attended yearly by over 100 000 art admirers. The best artworks from the extensive collections are on display at the permanent exhibitions of “Old Ukrainian Art of the 12th–15th cc.”, “Old Ukrainian Art of the 16th – 18th cc.” and “Ukrainian Art of the 18th– early 20th cc.”. Moreover, vast museum collections are also displayed at the Art Memorial Museums of Ivan Trush, Oleksa Novakivsky, Olena Kulchytska and Leopold Levytsky (opened in the former dwellings and studios of the artists) which welcome their visitors all year round.
all months | Tu - Su | 10:00 - 18:00 |