Cherkasy Local Lore Museum
Cherkasy Local Lore Museum is one of the richest and most beautiful museums in Ukraine. Today it displays more than 100.000 exhibits: original historical documents, rare photographs, precious collections of ethnic-Ukrainian embroidered garments and towels, ceramics, graphics, wild animal’s dummies, etc. The museum visualizes the development of the area since ancient times, through Cossack-Tatar wars and other vicissitudes to present-day achievements. The museum was founded in 1918, when it got the name of Cherkasy Historical and Pedagogical Museum. Its first exhibits, collected by the local ethnographer-researcher Dmytriy Bochkov and his enthusiastic helpers, spoke about great deeds of soldiers stationing in Cherkasy and also about local customs and traditions.
Nowadays Cherkasy Loca lLore Museum is located in a modern building. It opened its doors in 1985, in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War (World War II). The building was built according to the project of three local architects – Fursenko, Sobchuk and Kondratsky, who received the Shevchenko State prize for it. The museum comprises 30 large rooms that have the total floor space of 2.800 square meters. Its rooms are thematically different, showing nature, history, customs, traditions, and achievements of the people of Cherkashchyna.On entering the museum, one can see a large map of Cherkasy Oblast and the sculpture Cherkaschanka, created by Kushch.
The museum exposition begins with the Section of Nature. It gives a geographical description of the area: minerals, water resources, local fauna and flora. Then goes ethnographic display that shows the life, customs, art and crafts of people who live in Cherkasy Oblast, singling out their ethnic characteristics in home-making, dressing, family life, work, and religion. Considerable space here is given to exhibits of the Trypillia Culture (4-3 thousands years B.C.): vessels of different sizes with characteristic ornaments, necklaces made of deer teeth, ceramic things, etc. In the 7-3 centuries B.C., Scythians tribes lived on the greater part of the territory of today’s Cherkashchyna. So the museum displays Scythian burial tombstones that were found near the town of Zolotonosha and a unique full set of amour: a metal coat of mail, a sword and a spear.
The general theme for the exhibits of the next room is The Early Slavs on the Territory of the Area; Cherkasy Oblast during the Period of Kievan Rus. Another room shows items that refer to Ukrainian Cossacks, whose first settlement appeared in the 15th century. Cherkasy became the stronghold in the struggle against Polish gentry as well as Turks’ and Ukrainian Tatars’ raids. Of especial interest here are the items visualizing the struggle for liberation headed by hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky: Cossacks weapon, garments, a military map, etc. In the centre of the room stands the bust of the hetman, together with the Cossack flags and a copy of Bohdan Khmelnynsky’s first letter to the Russian tsar – his requesting for Ukraine’s reunification with Russia. The exhibits here also visualize one of the greatest Ukrainian uprisings, known as Koliivschyna (18th century), which was against the Polish gentry’s oppression.
A separate room exhibits items that refer to the years of the Great Patriotic War: weapon (both Soviet and German), ammunition, items of military technology and communications, flags, military decorations and documents, etc. A special display here shows how on December 14, 1943 the armies of the Second Ukrainian Front liberated Cherkasy. Another great display shows the Korsun-Shevchenkivsky military operation. Maps, plans, models, photographs and numerous documents speak about stoic heroism of soldiers who defended and liberated our land.
Cherkasy Local Lore Museum arranges annual exhibitions of different kinds: Ukrainian icons, embroidered towels, pictures, etc. Hence, the museum is an important cultural center of Ukraine. It is a great attraction for numerous tourists.