International Museum Day 2026: “Museums Uniting a Divided World”
May 18 is International Museum Day. The theme for 2026 is “Museums Uniting a Divided World,” announced by the International Council of Museums (ICOM), which emphasized the role of museums as spaces of memory, dialogue, and cultural understanding.

For the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation, museum and exhibition work is one of its key areas of activity. The Foundation takes part in projects focused on preserving cultural heritage, supporting museums, and promoting Ukrainian culture internationally.
Foundation Projects
Among the projects implemented or supported by the Foundation:
- restoration of the Sikorsky house in Kyiv for a future museum;
- assistance to the National Museum-Memorial “Lonsky Prison” following a Russian strike;
- partnership exhibition and educational projects with the National Museum of the Revolution of Dignity;
- support for exhibition projects of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine;
- collaboration with the Odesa National Fine Arts Museum;
- support for the War Museum’s travelling exhibition in the Czech Republic;
- international exhibition projects in Prague, including those marking the 100th anniversary of the Museum of the Liberation Struggle of Ukraine;
- support for the exhibition “Path of Heroes. In Memory of Symon Petliura.”
Why This Theme Matters for Ukraine
In 2026, the theme of International Museum Day is especially relevant for Ukraine: museums today not only preserve history but also document the war, work with memory, and shape Ukraine’s cultural presence in the world.




