Museum of Ukrainian Decorative Folk Art, Kiev

The Museum of Ukrainian Decorative Folk Art is one of the largest museums in Kiev, featuring over 75 thousand exhibits, spread across a 1,500 sq. metre space. Started as a department of the City Antiquity and Art Museum in 1899, the Ukrainian Decorative Folk Art Museum is now a stand-alone institution, part of the Pechersk Lavra Complex. It is housed in the former Metropolitan's residence and the Annunciation Church. The museum comprises exhibits made by local craftsmen, folk painters and artisans. The collection is divided into two main sections: one featuring objects dating before the 20th century; and the other displaying items from the Soviet and more recent periods.

The exhibits vary in terms of functionality and materials they are made of. Among them are textiles, embroideries, weaved carpets, different types of decorative sewing, leatherwork, painted icons, Easter eggs, wood and bone carvings, wood paintings, glassware and porcelain items. A special place has been given to local painters, Katerina Bilokur and Marija Primachenko. An extensive collection of Ukrainian folk costumes, dating from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, is exhibited permanently. Also deserves mention is the collection of painted fabrics. Although relatively small, compared to other sections of the museum, it contains artefacts from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, most of which are unique. The museum's collections are regularly updated. Temporary exhibits are also hosted, from time to time.