Ukrainian National Museum

Located in the Ukrainian Village, the Ukrainian National Museum of Chicago is a hidden gem that beautifully preserves and shares the rich heritage of Ukrainian culture and immigration. Founded in 1952, the museum showcases an impressive collection of embroidered garments, folk art, fine art, antique musical instruments, and archival materials that bring to life the traditions and history of Ukraine and the immigrant experience in America. The exhibits offer a heartfelt glimpse into the lives of those who carried their culture across the ocean, making it a meaningful and educational destination for visitors of all backgrounds—a must-see for anyone interested in cultural history, craftsmanship, and the Ukrainian immigrant story in Chicago.

Very nice time, Vyachyslav was a stellar tour guide and explained the history of Ukraine in a very engaging manner!

We had a wonderful time learning more about the history of Ukraine and the story of Ukrainian Americans in Chicago. Highly recommend! Slava Ukraini.

We enjoyed a lovely visit to the Museum today. Vyachyslav was a great narrator of history & as a Ukrainian I learned a lot. It’s worth a stop and the tour is very well done.

An absolute gem. The exhibits were extensive, informative, and beautiful. We went on a Sunday and the staff welcomed us and gave us an in depth tour with plenty of personal experience. He even tailored the experience to our particular heritage making it very enjoyable!

I visited Chicago and wanted to visit a ukrainian gift shop and found myself in front of the beautiful Ukrainian National Museum. I was absolutely blown away but how welcoming the staff was. I was also completely amazed by the quality and quantity of breathtaking Ukrainian art, heritage, and culture that i saw during my visit. If youre interested in learning more about Ukraine and youre in Chicago. This Museum is an absolute must visit.

My husband and I are grateful to have found this gem of a museum! From decorative eggs to a Eurovision contestant’s instrument (yes, really!), the Ukrainian National Museum gives you a thorough overview of Ukraine’s people and culture. During our guided tour, we learned key facts about Ukraine’s history, which is helpful for understanding current events in the country. As our tour guide said, we can learn and talk more about Ukraine our next visit!

Though a small building, this museum is packed with history I never knew about both regarding Ukraine and Ukrainians in Chicago. We got a warm welcome and the guide, Vyachislava, was very knowledgeable. I look forward to going back the next time I’m in town.

Beautifully appointed museum. Lots of art & info about Ukrainian culture & history. 3 floors of info. I came during open house Chicago so there were people there to answer questions & educate me about the beautiful, artful eggs & tradition clothing.

Stopped here during open house Chicago. Very interesting learning about the history of the Ukraine. Not a huge time commitment. The museum has a lot packed in it but, it is not overwhelming and can be done in less than a couple of hours.

We were on vacation so we took a trip to the Ukrainian Village. While we were there, we stopped by the museum. Although it was closed for the day, the employees were kind enough to let us in. It was really cool to be the museum alone (well, aside from the employees), and we could take our time to look at all of the artifacts and exhibits without being rushed. It's not a big museum, but it does go up two floors and there is a lot packed in those two floors. You might be here for an hour, just looking at the vast Ukrainian history. And it's wide ranging - from the roots to the Holodomor to famous Ukrainian celebrities (some U.S. born) to the current Russian invasion. There is a lot of artwork for anyone to purchase from local Ukrainian artists, and also a donation box if you want to give back. Overall, I recommend it. It is a fantastic museum.

We visited this during Open House Chicago on October 19th. This isn't a large museum, but has many interesting exhibits to view, including some which show the occupied areas following World War II. They have a lot of art on the first floor, which is actually for sale from local artists. On the second floor, you have the Ukrainian exhibits, where you see the USSR spraying down children with DDT (and if you don't know what that is, be grateful - it was banned years ago as it was decimating the bird population because it made their egg shells too thin) for lice, and other things that would make your head ache. While it isn't huge, it packs a lot into a good space. Parking is available but limited.

Has to be on the list of anyone looking to check out museums in Chicago. It's not among the popular ones but with the events that have happened it's important to go here. The small but very special Ukrainian National Museum is one you have to go to. Check out some art work as well as artifacts. You can find out a lot of information about the country and cultural types of stuff. Because it was close to the anniversary of the invasion, I thought I had to go here. It was a visit to learn about the culture and what is going on. This isn't like a typical museum so be aware of that. For one thing, it's a lot smaller. This is of course located in Ukrainian Village. It's about $10 for admission. Kind of a lot compared to other places but not that bad for others. Has lots of classic art and artifacts. There's a lot about the history of wars and refugees. Come look around and appreciate the history of a country. It's been going through a lot. The history in the museum shows the country has its true culture and will get respect at some time or whenever.

I decided to visit the Ukrainian National Museum based on seeing Zack Dmyterko on a segment on Channel 5 News about the museum. It was a fantastic experience and I learned so much about Ukrainian culture and its history. I highly recommend it!

Although I am a lifetime Chicagoan, I have spent very little time in Ukrainian Village. With Ukraine entrenched in the news lately, it seemed like a good time to experience some of Ukrainian Village's cultural offerings. My love and I visited the Ukrainian National Museum of Chicago on St. Patrick's Day of all days. The Ukrainian National Museum has permanent exhibits, such as the colorful Pysanky (Ukrainian Easter eggs), and the interesting Heritage exhibits. Some of the historical displays will make you angry or sad that some terrible things in history seem to be repeating themselves all over again with the ongoing Russia - Ukraine conflict. We saw a colorful exhibition of artworks by local teacher Elena Diadenko, and fortunately her art cheered us up a bit. The Ukrainian National Museum of Chicago is open Thursday through Sunday and has an adult admission of $10. Poke around a bit on the different floors to locate all the exhibits and get your money's worth.

I write admittedly out of ignorance. I like to think of myself as a fairly cosmopolitan person, but I suspect I'm like many Americans that when I found out that Ukraine was under attack, I didn't really have any idea what Ukraine was. I'm old enough to remember the tail end of the Soviet Union, but when the Soviet Embassy became the Russian Embassy in my neighborhood, the other former Soviet states didn't make sense to me. Moreover, I am a product of American public education, which seemed strangely intent to imbue only two messages: America is bad and you should never question the authority of the sort of person who tells you that (and this was twenty years ago). Thankfully I didn't listen very well. Most of us don't even learn Spanish or Mandarin, let alone Ukrainian. Anyway, I came here full of questions. The museum lies across the street from a rather spectacular-looking church where the locals (the entire neighborhood is known as the Ukrainian Village) were doing some sort of Easter ceremony involving blessing food baskets. To get into the museum, note that one has to ring a doorbell. The museum has a few levels. Some were art and history, notably a display of Pyska, which refers to a finely decorated egg. Signs stated not to take pictures, which I abided (at least once I left the entrance hall where I did not see such a sign), but I promise they are fantastically intricate. Other halls focused on Soviet occupation and the famine imposed on the region. In the entrance hall, an artist had produced a variety of wood carvings including one of an echidna for some reason. The museum in total was an eclectic mix. I didn't quite get a comprehensive answer to my search for the story of Ukraine, but I certainly got an interesting experience and some food for thought, and I bought a painted wooden version of the Pyska to go.

A curious mishmash of various artifacts, artworks, monies, photographs, dioramas, and others. If you expect something akin to the Met, you might be disappointed, and it is essential to manage your expectations. The Ukrainian National Museum is about culture, stories, and people. This museum celebrates Ukrainian (and, by extension Slavic & Russian) cultures. Everything within is a little piece of a very old, colorful, and beautiful culture. What also makes this place so terrific is the staff. The folks working here are kind, welcoming, passionate, and knowledgeable. Culture isn't just artifacts on display; it also exists in people's minds. With this, the staff is what further helped bring it to life. Whether or not you have Ukrainian heritage, a visit here is absolutely worth it if you are visiting Chicago (or a resident!)

This is my chosen loca museum for the month of May and I am really happy that I got a chance to come this beautiful sunny day. I got a chance to learn a great deal about the history of the Rus and culture. Everyone who were staff treated us so politely and personal. Needless to say, I support your cause and the work you are doing to bring awareness and share the love of your people.

The museum staff were very welcoming and engaging. We had a large group and they were very accommodating and their tour guides were very knowledgeable. I learned a lot about the Ukrainian people as well as their history and it deepened my understanding of current political challenges.

Such a gem in Ukrainian Village! I was exploring the neighborhood during the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend and there happened to be a veteran parade. An 80-year-old Veteran recommended this museum to us and I'm so glad we came. It is a $5 donation as entrance and the museum curator/ worker was so nice and friendly! She introduced us to the painting exhibitions on the first floor and gave us a background on the painters. She then led us upstairs and told us about the painting process of the Easter eggs and the various artworks. I'd highly recommend checking out this place if you're in the area. Super friendly people and a great learning experience about the Ukrainian immigrant community here in Chicago.

We went to the Ukrainian National Museum yesterday but had to leave early for an event, but we found it so interesting we actually went back today to take more time to read all of the displays. We found it intriguing, the similarities with other indigenous cultures in terms of the beading and intricate colorful traditional clothing. The process of tinting and decorating eggs was fascinating. I enjoyed reading about the pagan history of Easter eggs and the original spiritual meanings of the different decorating motifs. We also learned a lot about their genocide and repeated attempts by other European powers to colonize them and to take away their power and dignity. This is a culture I know very little about, but as one can see, there is still lots that can connect us.

Know nothing about Ukrainian history? Me neither. But I went to this museum and now I know a little more. And the visit inspired me to do some more of my own research. While reading about the hunger strike led by college students in 1990, it was interesting to listen to a volunteer talking about how she was 16 at that time and her experience of it. Great little gem in Ukrainian Village!

Attended a Pyska (Dyed Egg) making class here on Saturday. It was a wonderful art and cultural experience. The instructor and her assistants were very attentive, helpful, and very encouraging. They provided all the materials, personal lighting, tables, and lunch! Also during the class, they explained the cultural, religious, and historical significance of what we were creating. They were very knowledgeable about the neighborhood and its connection with Chicago and the local churches as well. The Museum itself is a great facility. Some very relevant exhibitions on the first floor and a plethora of displays on the second. This is a great contribution to the neighborhood and the city, I learned so much from my experience, worth a visit! Don't hesitate to visit or sign up for a class!

Ever since the wing was added a few years back, I look forward to new exhibit openings (as they are always in that new space). Granted I still have a bit of an aversion to the main museum part but that has everything to do with being dragged here against my will while a student in Ukrainian Saturday school ... Beautiful exhibit space that can work well as a party venue as well. I especially love the fact that they have a "Junior Board" like all the fancy Chicago institutions - and not only because said Board exists but also b/c they regularly host unique cultural events that goes above and beyond the traditional Ukrainian easter eggs and embroidery that us Ukies are famous for ....

Beautiful collection of true treasures. I came for the Pysanky but enjoyed so much more. Many displays are open so you can look very close. The staff are encouraging and eager to share their expertise. There is a parking lot available too! Take a quick walk across the street to see a stunning church or go around the corner to the Ukranian Modern Art Museum as well. For more Pysanky.... www.instagram.com/katherine_alexander_art

Wonderful, informative, cultural, historical, local, foreign. It is true- all of these things and more are found here. I was lucky enough to join a group of people on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon to do a "tour" of the Ukrainian National Museum as a part of a broader neighborhood tour of Ukrainian Village coordinated by Mr. Nishan (truly great job, as always!). We weren't sure what to expect, as I'm sure they weren't sure what to expect from us. What we were shown was a deep love of Ukrainian culture and history, a respect of various viewpoints, a willingness to spend a lot of time with total outsiders to show us their great collection and speak of their own experiences. Around 90 minutes was spent by two lovely women who spoke extensively around the various exhibits (all of them for eight of us) and about the history of the Ukrainian people, Ukrainian-Americans and the museum itself. All of this given to us after spending two full sessions with young school kids. The space is utilized well- between an extensive library, permanent historical rooms like the one featuring the story and traditions of the Cossacks, pysanky (decorative eggs), and even the Ukrainian genocide of 1933-1934, along with other temporary installations that are used for special art and history events. If you are at all interested in history- international, cultural and even local- I highly recommend a trip here.

Great museum that captures Ukrainian history. The egg exhibit is my absolute favorite. This place is much larger than it seems (3 floors!) and changes its main exhibit monthly. Staff is so friendly, museum is very clean, spacious, and well laid out. A great value for the $5 suggested donation. They have a great library and tiny gift shop. Went on a Sunday afternoon and there was plenty of on-street parking. A great cultural experience!

I take yoga here every Wednesday at 6:30 pm, open to all, $10 drop in fee, what a GORGEOUS place. lovely art and just immaculately clean. I imagine this would be an amazing venue for lots of events. A true gem.

A wonderful and informative museum with very friendly and helpful staff who are happy to answer all your questions. Highly recommended!

I love this place. It's a wealth of information. I agree about the Pysanky - they have a beautiful, rare and large collection. But there is a separate exhibit of coins, an exhibit of religious artifacts and a collection of antique Kozak swords, weaponry and an actual Bunchuk. Their collection of UPA artifacts including pictures, posters, buttons and badges. But one of the most moving exhibits is about the Holodomor - it's worth the time to go and learn about the Ukrainian Genocide. They have interesting art exhibits by Ukrainian artists so it's always good to check out their website to see what's new at the Museum.

A delightful museum, wonderful even if you are not Ukrainian. The Pysanky (easter eggs) from the different regions and the embroidery and beautiful. Many other historical displays. In addition, usually a changing exhibit on the ground floor. I recommend a short visit if you like cultural experiences.

Terrific exhibits. From the Easter eggs to the historical displays, this place is very inviting and informative. Check it out!