Tserkovno-Istorychnyy Muzey Kharkivsʹkoyi Yeparkhiyi Upts

Beautifully presented.

The museum itself has a long and complex history, as well as all (almost all) monuments of church significance, which were not lucky enough to be on the territory of the USSR. The modern museum, which is now open to the public, was consecrated relatively recently - in 2004. The ceremony was attended by Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine Volodymyr, Metropolitan Nikodim of Kharkov and Bohodukhiv, as well as Archbishop Onuphry of Izyum - the people thanks to whom the revival of the long closed and ruined old museum took place. To this day, it is the only church history museum dedicated to the Orthodox Sloboda Ukraine and its spiritual heritage. The exposition was first opened in 1913. Then she was located in a building at st. Kaplunov (now - Red Banner) and was called the "Church-Archaeological Museum". The inspiration and implementer of the idea was Archbishop Arseniy of Kharkov and Akhtyr. He was also the main fundraiser: he donated a collection of church antiquities and a photo album. But he was not the only donor. Many archbishops, priests, archpastors and simple, not indifferent people enthusiastically picked up the noble idea and brought more and more new items that became the decoration of the exposition. Moreover, in 1914, with the arrival of the new Archbishop Anthony, a circular was issued, which ordered all church values ​​that did not take part in the services of churches to be given to the museum. Thanks to this, perhaps not the most popular step, the staff of Grigory Skovoroda turned out to be among the last adornments of the exhibition hall - an item for which modern museum workers would gladly part with some valuable part of their body. Unfortunately, it will not be possible to see it: in 1919, thanks to the anti-church policy that dominated the territory of the USSR, the most interesting museum ceased to exist, and the exhibits were either plundered or lost. The current exposition had to be created literally from scratch - nothing remained of the unique things that were the adornment of Kharkov and the entire Slobozhanshchina. Perhaps that is why the word "archaeological" was replaced with "historical" in the title. Indeed, there is almost nothing of archeology here. The modern exhibition of Orthodox shrines is mainly based on gifts from the wealthy authorities and the spiritual elite of Ukraine. Among the donors: Metropolitan Nikodim, Archbishop Onufry, former President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma, Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine Vladimir. The iconic exhibits are the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands, a huge Bible published in 1810, materials about the Sloboda Great Martyrs, as well as a copy of the Peresopnytsia Gospel, on the original of which all presidents of Ukraine swear allegiance on the day of their inauguration. But, in our opinion, no less, and perhaps more interesting, are the objects brought by ordinary people - mainly Kharkiv residents. Interesting Kharkov. For example, photographs of the first priests of the temple, dating from the beginning of the last century, were found in a garbage dump located at the back of the fifth bakery. The materials dedicated to the Kharkov clergymen who were shot in the 1930s are also very poignant. They are definitely worth seeing for those who miss the Soviet reality. However, they are unlikely to be interested in such a museum.

A wonderful museum, I advise you to visit with a guided tour from Father Maxim.

beautiful museum