National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War. Memorial complex, founded in 1974, was initially located in the Klovsky Palace. Since 1981, it has been operating at its current location, covering more than 11 ha of territory. Its dominant feature is the tallest sculpture in Europe, the 102-meter-high Motherland Monument. The Museum's main exhibition space is inside its pedestal.
The Museum's primary focus is on the events of the Second World War in Ukraine, which led to the loss of up to 10 million lives. Its broader mission is to showcase the Ukrainian people's struggle for independence in the context of two world wars and the ongoing russian-Ukrainian conflict.
The Museum documents the events of the current russian aggression against Ukraine and the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people since 2014. It collects and researches artifacts and testimonies, presenting them in exhibitions. This work has gained new significance since russia's full-scale invasion began on February 24, 2022. On May 8, 2022, a month after the liberation of the temporarily occupied territories of Kyiv and Chernihiv regions, the Museum became the first institution in the capital to open its doors to visitors. It presented the exhibition "Ukraine—Crucifixion," the world's first permanent museum exhibition on the ongoing russian-Ukrainian war. This exhibition formed the basis for international exhibitions in Riga (Latvia), Tallinn (Estonia), New York (USA), and Bratislava (Slovakia). The Museum's exhibition projects were presented in 15 countries during the full-scale war.
The Museum has been recognized for actively documenting and covering the current war, receiving prestigious international awards. These include notable mentions from the judges of the Museums + Heritage Awards (2023, London, UK), the European Museum Awards of the European Museum Academy (2023, Timisoara, Romania), and a nomination for the European Museum of the Year Award (2024, Portimão, Portugal).
During the full-scale russian-Ukrainian war, the Museum began redefining itself to conceptualize and update its societal mission. In 2023, as part of this process, the Museum replaced Soviet symbols on the shield of the Motherland Monument with the Sign of the Princely State of Volodymyr the Great, the Trident.
The Museum remains a leading force in Ukrainian society, serving as the national hub for commemorating historically significant events in Ukraine's past.
