Tsarist Russia joined Europe’s museum craze a little late, developing a few large museums by the time of the Revolution. The USSR later enthusiastically developed museums as educational and propaganda tools – even pioneering new types of museums. Today, the cities within the former Eastern Bloc contain surprising numbers of these institutions, both private and publically funded, and on nearly every subject imaginable. Many of these museums have survived wars, revolutions, and economic and political collapse, often by innovating ways of preserving, funding, and maintaining their collections. For anyone studying museum science, Russia and other former soviet bloc countries make for fascinating study abroad destinations.
Kyiv offers a plethora of parks, museums, and cafes to provide a bit of relief from the hustle and bustle of its modern, big city life. However, just a short trip away is the National Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine. Located on the former Pirohiv settlement, which dates back to the days […]