Ukraine’s National Chernobyl Museum in Kyiv has suffered devastating damage following a large-scale Russian missile attack overnight on May 24.
According to museum representatives, nearly 40% of the exhibition collection was permanently lost in the strike. Emergency responders and museum staff rushed to evacuate surviving artifacts immediately after the explosion.
Among the items saved were archival collections, a painting by renowned Ukrainian artist Maria Prymachenko, and the Ukrainian flag raised at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant after the area was liberated from Russian occupation in 2022.
Yaroslav Yemelyanenko, head of the Association of Chernobyl Operators, said a missile directly hit the museum building in Kyiv’s historic Podil district, causing extensive destruction. Museum workers are now attempting to recover water-damaged exhibits, including rare books, historical records, and traditional embroidered garments connected to the Chernobyl disaster.
Founded in 1992 shortly after Ukraine gained independence, the National Chernobyl Museum was created to preserve the memory of the 1986 nuclear catastrophe, the cleanup operation, and the people affected by it. The museum is housed in a historic former fire station linked to the firefighters who responded to the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear plant.
The destruction of the museum represents not only the loss of cultural heritage, but also damage to one of the world’s most important historical archives documenting the Chernobyl tragedy and its aftermath.
Comments