Typical old ukrainian village houses.
Wooden church from 16th century.
Original windmills from countryside (18-19 century).
The Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine is an outdoor museum that enables you to go several centuries back and explore the amazing culture of Ukraine with your own eyes. Founded in 1969, it’s a great sight for tourists who want to see the ancient structures and artifacts and experience the amazing and rich history of Ukraine. If you are in Kiev, then you must visit this place. It will take you less than an hour to get there and you will certainly be entertained all day long. Your family will undoubtedly love this impressive outdoor museum.
This museum covers 375 acres of land. You can think of it as a village that encompasses a wide variety of buildings and structures. It has more than 300 pieces of folk architecture. They were brought here, piece by piece, from different regions of Ukraine and were carefully assembled again to preserve them in one place. When you look at these structures, you will learn how people lived in Ukraine many centuries ago.
The open-air museum has been divided into 6 different sectors to represent different regions of Ukraine and their specific traditions. Each area features its rich history along with social, economic and cultural developments. These areas are:
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Middle Dnieper
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Poltava Region
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Polissia (North Ukraine)
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Podillia (central Ukraine)
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Carpathian Mountains
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South Ukraine
You will come across many amazing buildings and structures, such as: churches, windmills, farm buildings, schools, country houses, and so on. These structures have been placed in relevant sections where they rightly belong. They are surrounded by trees, flowers, fruits and bushes that properly represent a particular geographical location.
Every single building has been organized and furnished to show you how they were between the 16th and 19th century. You will be able to go inside and discover how people lived there hundreds of years ago. You will also come across people wearing traditional clothing. Thus, you will be able to witness the old Ukrainian lifestyle and culture firsthand.
In the museum, you will be able to see over 40,000 ethnographic exhibits that will represent household items and traditional culture such as folk costumes, fabrics, carpets, ceramics, articles of metal, tools, embroidery, wood, glassware, musical instruments, paintings, old textiles, stoves and much more. You will be able to see these objects inside the cottages and in various buildings as well as in the permanent exhibition halls.
It will be fun to spend the whole day at the Museum of Folk Architecture and Life. It’s advisable to bring your walking shoes to see the whole place comfortably. There are many picnic sites where you can rest and buy something to eat and drink if you don’t have anything with you.
A person in a wheelchair will not be able to move around easily and comfortably, because the walkways are not completely flat. It will be tough to enter various structures, because you will usually see some steps there.
It doesn’t cost much to enter the museum. However, you will have to pay extra if you aim to take photos. English-speaking guides are available on-site for hire. It’s ideal to hire one, because you will not see many signs in the museum. Working Hours: From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
See another sights of Kiev: St.Sophia church and Mykhailivskyi monastery
