Great Patriotic War Museum

Kyiv


Located at the base of the towering Rodina Mat, this museum was built belatedly in 1981 to honour Kyiv's defenders during the Great Patriotic War (as WWII is known in these parts). While the focus is still on WWII, the huge foyer out front has been turned into a shrine of sorts to victims of the war in the east, with revolving exhibits telling the story of Ukraine's all-too-contemporary conflict with Russia.

Behind that, 12 giant halls walk the visitor through every nuance and stage of WWII, a war that killed more than 8 million Ukrainians. A walk through these halls is essential to understanding the tremendous suffering endured by Ukraine during the Nazi invasion and subsequent occupation. It's a sombre and sometimes even macabre exhibition, such as in Hall No. 6 where you find yourself looking at a pair of gloves made from human skin and soap made from human fat.

Displays are mainly in Ukrainian, but English placards summarise the highlights in each hall.

The museum was recently renamed the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War; not surprisingly, the name has yet to catch on.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Kyiv attractions

1. The Motherland Monument

As you journey into Kyiv from the airport, at some point this giant statue of a female warrior will loom up on the horizon and make you wonder, 'What the…

2. Ivan Honchar Museum

0.47 MILES

This Pechersk-based facility is more than a museum, it's a crucible for preserving Ukrainian folk culture in the 21st century. In addition to permanent…

3. Museum of Microminiature

0.6 MILES

Beneath the Great Bell Tower on the south side of the Upper Lavra, the Museum of Microminiature provides something even for atheists within this holiest…

5. Kyevo-Pecherska Lavra

0.67 MILES

Tourists and Orthodox pilgrims alike flock to the Lavra, set on 28 hectares of grassy hills above the Dnipro River in Pechersk. It's easy to see why…

6. Historical Treasures Museum

0.67 MILES

This museum in the Upper Lavra, behind the Dormition Cathedral, has an astounding collection of precious stones and metal found or made in Ukraine. The…

7. Vydubytsky Monastery

0.68 MILES

Few churches appear more frozen in time than those of the Vydubytsky Monastery, nestled into a hill beneath the Hryshko Botanical Gardens. If you found…

8. Mystetsky Arsenal

0.71 MILES

Once a storage for gunpowder and harnesses, these days it is a playground for visionary curators – each exhibition becomes an event of national importance…