The number of sets is limited 
Hidden exhibits and temporary exhibitions: the Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum has unveiled a glimpse behind the scenes
- News of Mykolaiv
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- Julia Lukyanenko
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18:00, 11 May, 2026
Life at the Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum during the war. Photo: NikVestiThe war has forced museums to adapt. At the Vasyl Vereshchahin Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum, part of the collection was evacuated, whilst other exhibits were saved by packing them up, including using whatever materials were to hand.
A glimpse behind the scenes of the museum was offered during a research tour, NikVesti reports.
The MyART platform is currently creating a digital collection of Mykolaiv: the local history museum, the naval museum, the central library, the observatory, and the shipyard museum. The collection also includes the Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum.
«It’s an ecosystem of projects, as there are currently nine of them. We’re preserving Mykolaiv’s maritime heritage and legal heritage—that is, all these photos of the shipyards, the sea and the ships. And we’re reinterpreting them a little. We are also working with the central library, the observatory, and the Mykolaiv Shipyard Museum. There is no roof, no lighting, nothing there, but there are works that we would very much like to at least digitise and have copies,» said Daria Frych-Alchyna, a representative of the platform.
The MyArt platform, in collaboration with three museums in Mykolaiv — the Art Museum, the Local History Museum, and the Shipbuilding and Navy Museum — and the Mykolaiv Development Agency, is implementing the ‘Industrial Heritage of Mykolaiv Region’ project as part of the MUSEUM FUTURES programme. In May, research tours were conducted at these three museums.
Larysa Tverytynova, a research assistant at the museum, explained that the Art Museum was founded in 1914. It was located at 22 Spaska Street, next to the children’s art school.
Research tour at the Vereshchahin Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum. Photo: NikVesti
Research tour at the Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum named after Vereshchahin. Photo: NikVesti
Research tour at the Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum named after Vereshchahin. Photo: NikVestiThe museum was founded by Prince Mykola Hedroits, of Polish-Lithuanian descent. He was a naval officer, but had an interest in art. His parents lived in Mykolaiv, so he used to visit our city.
«When staff made enquiries to find out more about him — his dates of birth and death, what he did — we received a reply from the Kharkiv archive stating that there were no records or materials about him,» said a museum employee.
Larysa Tverytynova explained that materials about Mykola Hedroits were found thanks to the museum’s interest. When she was at a scientific conference in Kharkiv in the late 1990s, one of the participants mentioned that she knew a man with the surname Hedroits. A research assistant at the Mykolaiv museum wrote to him via a contact agency, and he replied. This marked the start of correspondence with a representative of the Hedroits family, who sent materials about his relative.
«He found the death certificate of Mykola Hedroits and sent a photocopy to the museum. Materials from Hedroits’ interrogation: he was also imprisoned, and then released. He was quite an elderly man, but this was not taken into account. And he died on 31 December 1933. The cause of death is listed as ‘senile frailty’,» said the research assistant.
Larysa Tverytynova noted that the building on Velyka Morska Street, where the museum is now located, was built in 1904. Many institutions had laid claim to it. One of them was situated on the ground floor of the building when the museum moved there in 1986. Therefore, renovation work could not begin for some time.
Research tour at the Vereshchagin Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum. Photo: NikVesti
Research tour at the Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum named after Vereshchagin. Photo: NikVesti
Research tour at the Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum named after Vereshchahin. Photo: NikVestiThe exhibitions were on the second and third floors, but the museum also created a music lounge. Today, the interior has been redesigned following renovation. For example, the fireplace is not «original», but was transported from 22 Spaska Street and assembled from separate parts.
Larysa Tverytynova explained that the music lounge now frequently hosts philharmonic performances as well as exhibitions. Currently, it features works in the animalistic genre by Inna Makushyna. Two large paintings by other artists were originally part of the Kherson Art Museum’s collection.
«And for a long time, there was no art museum in Kherson. These works were not on display; they were wound onto a spool, without stretcher bars or frames, and in poor condition, and Kherson handed these works over to us in that state. We also stored them for some time. But then, in the 2000s, we launched a programme under which many large-format works were restored,» said Larysa Tverytynova.
Research tour at the Vereshchahin Regional Art Museum in Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti
Research tour at the Vereshchahin Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum. Photo: NikVesti
Research tour at the Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum named after Vereshchahin. Photo: NikVestiTwo further galleries housed the museum’s collection of domestic and foreign art. Previously, these displayed ancient icons and works from the first half of the 19th century. Currently, they host an exhibition of porcelain from the private collection of Dmytro Yeromenko.
«At present, the vast majority of museums in Ukraine are not operating with permanent exhibitions. Presumably, this has been done to preserve our museum collections and safeguard our national heritage. And so, in February 2022, we also took down our works. We are now working with temporary exhibitions like this one,» noted a museum employee.
According to her, the main works will likely be put on display again after the war. Larysa Tverytynova explained that in 2022, many museums in Ukraine did not even have packing materials to save their collections. Many people were working remotely.
«And at first, almost until the end of 2022, we weren’t admitting visitors. We would come in, check on the exhibits, and work on evacuating them, because it’s impossible to evacuate the entire collection: it’s too large. The collection now numbers over 18,000 exhibits. It was impossible to pack everything up and take it away. Even to remove works such as those by Vereshchahin. They remained in place. We covered them as best we could; there were no packing materials. Only later, with the help of partners from Germany, are our Ukrainian museums now receiving both conservation equipment and packing materials,» shared the research assistant.
Another hall housed artworks from the second half of the 19th century by the so-called ‘itinerant artists’. It now hosts the exhibition «Face to Face with the Sea».
«There could have been many other works on a maritime theme, but we decided on these large-scale works by artists who, in our view, deserve it,» noted Larysa Tverytynova.
She also mentioned that most museums in Ukraine are housed in converted premises. The museums were built during the Soviet era, and the storage facilities are located in basements and lack proper equipment.
A research tour at the Vereshchahin Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum. Photo: NikVestiThe museum’s first permanent exhibition was dedicated to Vasyl Vereshchahin. Currently, some of the works are stored in their packaging, as are the works of other artists. One of the works — «In a Turkish Funeral Chamber» — was restored as part of a programme to revive masterpieces.
«It also had holes and cuts, and was even darker than it is now. It had been kept in the museum for many years. In 2021, it was restored by restorers from the Kyiv National Academy, Tetiana Bychko and Anatolii Yuskrovskyi,» noted the research assistant.
She explained that the painting is large, but the museum did not have a restoration table. They did not want to send it to Kyiv either, as it would have had to be transported back. So they decided to restore it on the floor, laying down sheets of fibreboard.
«And, by the way, all large works have been restored in the museum on the floor in this simple way,» noted Larysa Tverytynova.
Overall, the museum building is in need of repair. Larysa Tverytynova noted that although the museum was not hit by shelling, there are still consequences — there are cracks in the walls and ceiling, and the paint is peeling.
Research tour at the Vereshchahin Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum. Photo: NikVesti
Research tour at the Vereshchahin Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum. Photo: NikVesti
Research tour at the Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum named after Vereshchahin. Photo: NikVesti
Research tour at the Vereshchahin Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum. Photo: NikVesti
Research tour at the Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum named after Vereshchahin. Photo: NikVesti
Research tour at the Vereshchahin Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum. Photo: NikVesti
Research tour at the Vereshchahin Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum. Photo: NikVesti
Research tour at the Vereshchahin Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum. Photo: NikVesti
Research tour at the Vereshchahin Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum. Photo: NikVesti
Research tour at the Vereshchahin Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum. Photo: NikVesti
Research tour at the Vereshchahin Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum. Photo: NikVesti
Research tour at the Vereshchahin Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum. Photo: NikVesti
Research tour at the Vereshchahin Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum. Photo: NikVesti
Research tour at the Vereshchahin Regional Art Museum in Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti
Research tour at the Vereshchahin Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum. Photo: NikVesti
Research tour at the Vereshchahin Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum. Photo: NikVesti
Research tour at the Vereshchahin Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum. Photo: NikVesti
Research tour at the Vereshchahin Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum. Photo: NikVesti
Research tour at the Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum named after Vereshchahin. Photo: NikVesti
Research tour at the Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum named after Vereshchahin. Photo: NikVestiRead also the article by NikVesti: «The museum’s digital collection»: 329 20th-century paintings have already been digitised in Mykolaiv
This material was produced within the REACH – Media Partnerships for Accountability and Trust project, implemented by International Media Support (IMS) and supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. The content reflects the views of the authors and not necessarily those of the Danish government. Denmark’s support strengthens civil society and independent media in Ukraine, including in Mykolaiv.