Most valuable monument is destroyed house: What exhibits of Roman Shukhevych museum could not be saved

Most of the exhibits from the museum of Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) General Roman Shukhevych, destroyed by the Russians, are now safe. However, museum workers said the most valuable attraction was the building itself in Lviv. [The UPA was a Ukrainian nationalist paramilitary and partisan formation, active between 14 October 1942 and 14 April 1960 and fighting to liberate the country from occupying powers and set up an independent government - ed.] Source: Radio Liberty

Details: At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, about 600 of the most valuable museum exhibits were moved to a safe place. 

"The most valuable monument is the house that was destroyed. Most of the main funds were taken from the museum at the beginning of the war, and it survived. Only some items were in the museum that were large," Petro Slobodian, deputy director of the Lviv Historical Museum said.

Roman Shukhevych's house burned down along with its furniture because of the Shahed's wreckage. Among the items were chairs, a table, a piano and an armchair. The bust of Shukhevych, created by Ukrainian monumental sculptor Mykhailo Chereshnyovskyi, could not be evacuated either.

Lviv Military Administration estimated the house cost at UAH 2.25 million (approx. US£57,464,97), but the greatest value was in the history of this house. In addition to ordinary living rooms, it also housed the headquarters of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army commander.

About the Roman Shukhevych House Museum

The Museum of Ukrainian Insurgent Army Cornet General Roman Shukhevych worked as a Department of Lviv Historical Museum.

It was located in Lviv at 76A Bilohorshcha Street. It was a memorial museum in the two-storey house where Shukhevych died.  On the ground floor of the building, there was a historical exhibition consisting of five halls, telling about the life of Roman Shukhevych.

Each hall was dedicated to a different topic: the history of the Shukhevych family, the family's struggle for the national idea, documents and records of the cornet general, and the birth of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. The first one showed the activities of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army headquarters. In particular, there is the kryivka [a military defence and economic structure of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, located underground].

It is located at the entrance to the attic and separated from the room by a double plank wall.

During the restoration of the building, a bullet from a Walter pistol was found in the wooden wall opposite the entrance to the kryivka. 

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