Foundation The museum began its activities with an
archaeological exhibition in
Kyiv in 1899 as the Museum of Antiquities and Arts. It was housed in the unfinished building designed by the prominent architect
Vladyslav Horodetsky. Funds for it were raised by Kyiv residents. The archeological department was the first to be created in the museum. It was headed by the well-known Ukrainian archaeologist
Vikentiy Khvoyka.
Mykola Biliashivsky was the first museum director, from 1902. Bilyashivsky played an extremely important role in forming the museum's collections. ), 1904 In 1904 the museum was opened as the Emperor Nicholas II Kyiv Art, Industry and Science Museum. The museum was supported by patrons, including the
Tereshchenko and
Khanenko families. They financed archaeological expeditions and helped to create collections with historical and ethnographic artefacts. The museum received new objects of applied art and coin collections as donations yearly. Museum collections were significantly increased by
Danylo Shcherbakivsky. He was the head of the historical and ethnographic departments. The beginning of the
First World War was a new stage for the museum. It remained open throughout the war, attracting visitors and growing its collection.
Ukrainian War of Independence and the Soviet Period The ideological and educational role of the museum significantly increased during
Ukrainian War of Independence in 1917–1921. The capture of Ukraine by the
Bolsheviks led to the nationalization of cultural institutions. In 1919 soviet authorities declared the Kyiv Art, Industry and Science Museum state property and renamed it the First State Museum. Museum funds were increased, mainly by the nationalization of private collections. In 1924 the museum was renamed to the Taras Shevchenko Ukrainian Historical Museum. The museum exposition consisted of archaeological artefacts, household items and art. Also the museum had the graduate school, where art, archaeology and ethnography specialists studied. In 1934 the museum was evicted from its original premises. Only the art and industrial departments remained at the same site. Two years later they formed the new State Ukrainian Museum, now the
National Art Museum of Ukraine. All other exhibits were transported to the
Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. It's the ancient monastery, where soviet authorities made the centre of antireligious propaganda. Funds of different museums were transported there, and it was called the Museum Town. In 1935 the museum was renamed as the Taras Shevchenko Central Historical Museum. It worked at the territory of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. The museum was evacuated to
Bashkir Nesterov Art Museum in
Ufa when the
USSR was attacked by
Nazi Germany during the
Second World War. Although some exhibits remained in Kyiv. The evacuated collection returned to Kyiv in 1944. At the end of 1941 with the occupation of Kyiv by Nazi forces the museum was under the
Reichsleiter Rosenberg Taskforce. Its staff, including Hungarian archaeologist
Nandor Fettich, packed the collections located in Kyiv Pechersk Lavra to remove it to Germany. In 1942 the archaeological and ethnographic collections of the museum were moved to the building which is now known as the
Teacher's House. The museum of pre- and early history was made there. Some of the most valuable museum artefacts from Kyiv were transported to Germany in 1941 and 1943. Most of them were trapped in Hochstedt Castle. After the fall of Nazi Germany, it was under American authority. Collections from Kyiv were sent to the
Munich Central Collecting Point. Artefacts returned to Kyiv in 1947. With the liberation of Kyiv by the
Soviet Army in November 1943 the museum started to resume its work. In May 1944 it received the building where it is presently situated. It was a former arts school designed by Joseph Karakis. The museum opened for visitors in 1948. A significant number of unique exhibits were lost during the war. The museum replenished its collections from numerous expeditions to the military fronts, archaeological and ethnographic expeditions. Also it made exhibits exchanges with Lviv, Odessa, Chernihiv, other Kyiv museums. In 1977 the museum renewed its exposition. Design was very modern for those times. Such room planning with little changes is preserved nowadays. The museum's collections became the basis for the other museums. In particular, 18,000 items were transferred to the
National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War. The
Kyiv Fortress (historical and architectural complex where the museum was created) firstly was the branch of the historical museum. About 600 exhibits were donated to the
Kyiv History Museum. During the "
Brezhnev stagnation" period the museum staff also worked on popularizing the accomplishments of the Soviet state, what the USSR's described as the achievements of socialism, and glorified the leading role of the
Communist party of the Soviet Union. In 2023, the museum took temporary possession of 565 ancient
Scythian and
Sarmatian artifacts from museums in Crimea that were on loan at the
Allard Pierson Museum in
Amsterdam when
Crimea was invaded and unilaterally annexed by Russia in 2014, following court rulings in the Netherlands that ruled in favor of the Ukrainian state's claims to them. The artifacts are currently stored at the museum's branch in the
Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. The museum stated that it would retain custody over the artifacts until the "de-occupation of Crimea". In April 2024, 274 archaeological artifacts, including 115 coins that were smuggled out of Ukraine, went on display at the museum. Estonian border guards had intercepted these items, and Estonia subsequently repatriated them to Ukraine. ==Main building==