Kiev is the capital city of Ukraine and is among the oldest cities in the eastern regions of the European continent. Museums, monasteries, churches and historical sites that played a role in the Second World War are among the tourist hotspots in the city.
The National Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War in Kiev – Ukraine is particularly noteworthy as this is where you can find various artifacts and memorabilia from World War II.
Location
The National Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War in Kiev – Ukraine is located at No. 24, Lavrska Street. It is within the district of Pechersk sitting atop a hill overlooking the Dnieper River.
Getting There
To get to the National Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War in Kiev – Ukraine; you can take the Metro, bus or trolleybus.
If you will be taking the Metro, take the one that goes to Arsenalna Station. If you will be taking the bus, take bus number 24; and for the trolleybus, take number 38. These stop at the terminal named after the museum.
What to See and Do
The National Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War in Kiev – Ukraine is considered as one of the largest in the country, having more than three hundred thousand exhibits.
The main building of the war memorial where the museum is situated is actually under the towering statue called the Motherland Monument. The museum showcases exhibits that depict the country’s contribution to the downfall of the Nazis during the Second World War.
There are sixteen halls in all with about fifteen thousand war memorabilia on permanent display.
These come in the form of photographs, artillery, military gear, wood carvings depicting the struggle against Nazism, and a long table with table settings for the soldiers who never made it back home including letters of condolences addressed to their respective families.
Brief History
The National Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War in Kiev – Ukraine was founded on the 9th of May in the year 1981. It was formerly called The Ukrainian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.
Seeing the importance and the relevance of the museum and the war memorial complex to the country in terms of its national culture and history, the museum was finally decreed a national museum on the 21st of June in the year 1996.
The Motherland statue which stands on top of the museum is sixty-two meters in height. The overall structure is about one hundred and two meters high with a weight of five hundred and thirty tons.
Cost
Entry fee in the National Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War in Kiev – Ukraine is about one Euro per person. For permission to take photographs, an additional fee of two Euros is charged.
Other Information
The National Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War in Kiev – Ukraine is open Tuesdays to Sundays from ten in the morning up to 5 in the afternoon. Mondays, the museum is closed.