Address: 8a, Shevchenko’s lane, Kiev
Phone: +38 (044) 2283511
Opening Hours: 10:00 − 18:00
Closed on Friday.

It is one of the three Shevchenko`s museums in Kiev. The Memorial Museum reproduces the atmosphere of 1846-47th, when Shevchenko lived in Kiev till his arrest in the case of Kyril and Mefodiy Association.

The building itself is a rarity of Kiev house building of the first half of the 19th century. It was built in 1835 and preserved till present time. This very fact makes it unique. The street, where Shevchenko lived, was called Goat`s Bog at that time. The poet stayed at collegiate secretary Ivan Zhytnitskiy`s who gave the future Kobzar a reference for entering the Arts Academy. So Taras Shevchenko did not choose this address for stay in Kiev accidentally.

Eventually, Zhytnitskiy`s house was reconstructed and fell into decay. After the revolution it was turned into a dwelling house. In 1925 on the request of the famous painter, professor of the Institute of Architecture Vasiliy Krichevskiy the house was renewed. V. Krichevskiy was charged with creative direction of decoration of the house – museum, drafting projects of the rooms, workshop and the garden. On November 10 1928 the Museum was ceremonially opened for visitors. During 1928 – 1942 it was replenished with works of Soviet painters. During the war the museum was badly damaged, but the building stayed intact.

At after-war time the exposition was not so rich, but the very authenticity of the old high-society building not far from the pompous Kreschatik Street made a great impression on visitors. The current exposition was created at the beginning of the 1990 and it does not have excessive gloss and ideological clichés, connected with the character of Shevchenko. There is a nice garden by the museum – “a cherry orchard’ – the only mansion garden, preserved in the center of the city from that time.