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This museum is a far cry from any museum elsewhere in Ukraine, and I have been to all I think. The art museum in Kiev across from the University, the beautiful Palace museum in Odessa (I think the best) and the museum in Mykolayiv. In comparison, this place comes way last. One floor full of icons. All the same theme. Only a few worthy of notable mention but true, all from 15-17th century. OK. Some paintings so filthy I could not believe it, don’t they have a cleaning program? One half floor has some later portraits and artistic work but nothing remarkable artist wise. In fact, so little historical work a number of paintings are identified as “portrait of a man,” but too many in my view. There is a very good bust of Taras Schevchenko and several good portraits of him. Anybody who knows their Ukrainian history knows Galicia was where Catherine the great sent the Jews to live. Even a Yale professor has written a remarkable book about the destruction of Jews in Ukraine, Bloodlands. So how can there be a National Museum without a single thing related to the two centuries of Yiddish life in this city? And in the area? U…
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Date of experience: August 2019
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+1
I stay at PANORAMA hotel near Lviv Opera, and I saw this gorgeous building of Museum not far away from hotel, so I decided to use my LVIV CITY CARD and visit this Museum. I may to say, I was really impressed. First exhibition is exhibition of modern Polish artist,Jedrzej Stepak. Second exhibition: Ukrainian icons from catholic and orthodox Churches. And mostly impressionable exhibition for me: portraits... If you have some free hours, please, come to this Museum!…
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Date of experience: August 2019
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+1
Incredible collection of religious painting (icons) from C12th - c18th. One of the greatest collections in the Slavic world. Plus you've got a very good collection of Ukrainian art 19th-20th and a phenomenal temporary exhibition of the famous Ukrainian artist - Ivan Truss. There is an audio guided tour available that you can download onto your smartphone, which I'd recommend, although in each of the rooms containing the religious paintings you'll find quite a detailed description. Time needed here around 2hrs. Even if not interested in the religious paintings, which takes up around 70% of the space, it's still worth going for the later Ukrainian art. Museum is still being restored and expanded. …
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Date of experience: January 2019
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Ok, so I thought “icons” were small ornate pictures on ornate gilded frames. Turns out they are also large religious paintings, so it wasn’t at all what I expected. But upon close inspection, and reading the laminated cards, they were fascinating. I actually made up a list of things to google when we got back to our rooms. For example, I’d heard of St George and the dragon, of course, but didn’t know til examining one of the paintings that he had also been executed. Check Wikipedia for the details, very interesting. Many of the icons, hundreds of years old, were done in a surprising cartoon style format, relaying the history of the saint to the viewer, who probably couldn’t read, it could easily follow the pictograph. There was also an exhibition of portraits, and some landscape and almost impressionist style paintings. The two really striking paintings were of a mother nursing her baby (a moment just beautifully captured) ,and another of a mother and daughters in a sunflower field. There was a large collection of paintings by one mid 20th century painter (forgot his name) around the staircase gallery. I found those rather heavy, dull, ominous and unappealing, and felt I would rather have thrown my vodka at him than shared it with him. …
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Date of experience: May 2018
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I am a huge fan of icons and sacral art, so this museum was a paradise for me. For people who are not so into this kind of art, might be quite boring. The form of exhibition is very traditional, without any modernization or interactivity with the visitor. Personally, I was satisfied, but not anyone will be.…
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Date of experience: December 2017
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