Museums (Part 1)

THE LVIV NATIONAL MUSEUM

20 Svobody Avenue, 79008, Lviv
tel. (0322) 74-22-82, 74-22-80
The working hours: Monday to Thursday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday – Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday – day off.
Catalogues, booklets, and other printed matter you will find in 20 Svobody Avenue.
The Lviv National Museum is one of the most outstanding museums of Ukraine, which funds contain over 130 thousand museum items. The collection was founded in 1905 as Mytropolitan Sheptytskyy’s private foundation. In 1913 by a ceremonial deed the Metropolitan donated the Museum to the Ukrainian community.
The museum collection of the old Ukrainian art – icon paintings, sculpture, carving, applied art, manuscripts and old printed matter by its number and integrity is unique, although the museum suffered considerable losses during the Soviet Regime years.
There are four constant expositions displayed in the museum, along with temporary exhibitions of the Ukrainian and foreign fine and decorative arts. Collection of manuscripts and old printed matter deserve a closer look.
Art collection of the 19th – early 20th century contains artistic heritage of the Ukrainian fine art classicists. Among the folk arts collection one should mention a unique collection of Poltava tapestries dating back to the 17th – early 18th centuries, ceramic items dating back to the 16th – 20th centuries, samples of folk clothes, embroidery, Easter eggs (”pysanka”) etc.
Your attention will be caught by a collection of the 20th century Ukrainian art listing over 2 thousand exhibits.
A wide picture of modern Ukrainian fine and folk art development is presented by the exposition displayed in 42 Drahomanova Str. (built by the architect V. Raush in 1896 and bought in 1911 by Metropolitan Sheptytskyy for the Lviv National Museum). The Lviv National Museum has four departments:

THE OLEKSA NOVAKIVSKYY ARTISTIC MEMORIAL MUSEUM

11 Lystopadovoho Chynu Str., Lviv
Tel: (0322) 72-94-08
Working hours: Sunday – Thursday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., days off – Friday, Saturday.
The house was bought by Anrey Sheptytskyy in 1907 and donated to the National Museum for the needs of the Ukrainian artists. Since 1913 it has become the home and an artistic workshop to O. Novakivskyy. In 1923-1935 O. Novakivskyy’s Art Scholl, the first artistic educational establishment in the western region used to function here. It numbered over 90 creative young people from all parts of Ukraine. In the after war period I. Sever, outstanding sculptor, used to have his workshop here (1891-1971).
In March 1972 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of O. Novakivskyy, distinguished by UNESCO, an artistic memorial museum named after him was opened in the workshop room.

THE OLENA KULCHYTSKA ARTISTIC MEMORIAL MUSEUM

9 Lystopadovoho Chuny Str., Lviv
tel. (0322) 72-57-67
The museum occupies the building of the artist’s former apartment. Fine art, graphics, decorative and applied works
made under her designs along with archive materials, pictures and Olena Kulchytska’s memorial belongings are displayed here.

THE IVAN TRUSH ARTISTIC MEMORIAL MUSEUM

28 I. Trusha Street, Lviv
tel. (0322) 35-34-13
Working hours: Sunday – Thursday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., days off – Friday, Saturday.
The museum occupies a building constructed by the artist himself in 1910 where Trush used to live and work for over 30 years. The display consists of two sections, the first of which comprises development of the artist’s personality during the period of his vigorous public activity; the second one – representing the artist’s artistic heritage of different periods of his creative life (1902-1941).

THE LEOPOLD LEVYTSKYY ARTISTIC MEMORIAL MUSEUM

10/1 Ustyyanovycha Street, Lviv
tel. (0322) 72-48-78
The museum is situated in the artist’s former apartment, where he used to live and work from 1946 till 1973. The display contains the memorial part, also representing the artist’s creative activity from his study in Krakow Academy of Arts to the last days of his life.

THE LVIV ART GALLERY

3 Stefanyka Str., 79000, Lviv
tel.: (0322) 72-39-48
The Lviv Art Gallery’s collection numbers over 55 thousand pieces of fine and decorative and applied art by European and Ukrainian artists. The museum contains the richest Ukrainian collection of pieces by Polish and Austrian painters, wooden sculpture collection, and a huge collection of Ukrainian portrait of the 16th – 18th centuries.
The very idea of founding the gallery dates back to the late 19th century. In 1902 a new entry was introduced into the city budget – “for purchase of art pieces”, and in 1903-1906 the initiative group purchased dozens of paintings for the public costs. Apart from that, Lviv magistrate bought several private collections. February 1907 is considered the date of founding the Gallery.
After 1939 the Gallery grew to include paintings from nationalized private collections.
Exposition sections: European art of the 16th – 20th centuries: the art of Italy, Germany, Flanders, Holland, Spain, Central Europe, France, Poland; European art of the early 20th century. Exposition halls display only 5 – 6 per cent of the collection, part of it is displayed in the Potocki Palace, the rest is deposited in the archives.
The Lviv Art Gallery contains the following departments:

THE SACRAL BAROQUE SCULPTURE MUSEUM

2 Mytna Square, Lviv
tel.: (0322) 75-69-66
Working hours: daily, except Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday – 12 to 5 p.m.
The museum was opened in 1996 as an architectural monument, built in 1605-1607 (architect P. Rymlyanyn), wall paintings date back to 1670. The exposition displays 32 exhibits representing creative activity of John George Pinsel, a well-known Lviv sculptor of the 17th century. In late 1750-ies he created a sculptural ensemble on the St. George Cathedral in Lviv, worked in Lviv St. Martin Roman Catholic Church in Monastyrysky (Ternopil region). Pinsel established Lviv Baroque sculpture school (about 40 sculptors).