Kherson museum opens exhibition in Kyiv after being robbed by occupants

On the occasion of its 48th birthday, the Kherson Regional Art Museum named after Oleksii Shovkunenko opened an exhibition project "Kherson. Shovkunenko. Saved".

This was reported by the Kherson Regional Art Museum named after O.O. Shovkunenko.

The exhibition was presented on May 27 at the National Museum "Kyiv Art Gallery". The exhibition featured works by Oleksiy Shovkunenko from the collection of the Kherson Art Museum, which were saved after the museum was looted by the Russian occupiers in 2022.

The museum notes that the works presented are only a small part of the preserved heritage, but each exhibit has become a symbol of indestructibility, memory, and the struggle for Ukrainian culture.

Photo: Kherson Regional Art Museum named after Oleksii Shovkunenko

The exhibition was timed to coincide with the 48th anniversary of the Kherson Art Museum, the International Museum Day, and the anniversary of the Taras Shevchenko National Prize. It was Oleksii Shovkunenko who became the first Kherson resident to receive this award in 1970.

The opening ceremony was attended by IDPs from Kherson and Oleshky, museum workers, journalists, Kyiv residents and government officials. Among the guests were Deputy Minister of Culture Ivan Verbytskyi and representative of the Kherson Regional State Administration Kateryna Petrenko.

During the opening ceremony, Alina Dotsenko, director of the Kherson Art Museum, emphasized the watercolor "Azovstal" that Shovkunenko created after visiting the plant's construction in the 1930s. Today, this work has acquired a new symbolic meaning due to the heroic defense of Mariupol.

Alina Dotsenko also said that eight graphic works were saved only because they were undergoing restoration in Kyiv at the time of the occupation.

The museum thanked the staff of the National Museum "Kyiv Art Gallery" and the restorers for their support, solidarity and assistance in preserving part of the Kherson collection.

Recently, the Kherson Regional Prosecutor's Office secured the termination of the contract for the restoration of the Kherson Regional Art Museum named after Oleksiy Shovkunenko through the court to prevent the loss of more than 62 million hryvnias of budget funds.

Last year, the Oleksii Shovkunenko Kherson Regional Art Museum was included in the list of the most influential museums according to the results of the international MuseumWeek 2025. Among more than 17.5 thousand participants from 80 countries, the Kherson Museum is one of 152 museums included in the ranking. The list also includes the Dnipro Historical Museum and the NBU Museum of Money.

Андрій Колісніченко