Pylyp Orlyk Foundation Signs Memorandum with the National Museum of Ukrainian History

What the memorandum provides

The Memorandum between the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation and the National Museum of Ukrainian History provides for financing the renovation of museum spaces, support for exhibition projects, and the development of new formats for museum-audience engagement. Foundation Board Chairman Artem Mykolaichuk stressed the strategic importance of the partnership:

“The history of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, and in particular the fate of Symon Petliura, shows us: without unity and inner strength it is impossible to maintain statehood. We must rely, first and foremost, on ourselves. Today we must continue the efforts of the fighters for independence — to preserve and worthily present our heritage for future generations. We must together direct our main efforts toward victory and finally complete what the soldiers of the UNR began, without being distracted today by the enemy’s provocations.”

Foundation Program Director Yaryna Yasynevych explained the practical dimension of the agreement:

“The signed memorandum is not a declaration but a concrete action plan. We will invest in creating modern exhibition spaces, supporting research projects, and developing new formats for museum-audience engagement. Together, we are making Ukrainian history visible and accessible. For us, for the museum, for those who returned the collection to a country at war — this is about optimism and faith in victory, about responsibility toward the youth of Ukraine, whose childhood cannot be put on pause.”

Museum Director General Olena Zemliana underscored the scale of the event:

“This is an event of historic significance for Ukrainian culture. We received not just exhibits — we reclaimed a part of our identity. It is extraordinarily important that alongside the return of the collection, we are continuing a new stage of the museum’s development — with modern exhibition approaches and renovated spaces.”

Artifacts that returned from Canada

In total, more than 1,500 museum objects and 123 boxes of archival materials were returned from Canada to Ukraine last year — documents and photographs about Ukrainians’ armed struggle for independence in the 20th century and the commemoration of fighters in exile. The collection was preserved for decades by the Ukrainian diaspora, including the Ukrainian Free Academy of Arts and Sciences in Canada.

As we reported earlier, journalists were shown the standard banner of the Second Uman Regiment of Horse Zaporizhians, pennants from Symon Petliura’s automobile, the passport of UNR Army Colonel Oleksandr Vyshnivsky, illustrations by Mykola Bytynsky, and the regimental bugle of the 4th Cavalry Regiment of the 4th Kyiv Rifle Division.

Exhibition curator Bohdan Patryliak spoke about the significance of each object:

“Each of these artifacts is not simply a museum piece. The banner of the Second Uman Regiment is a symbol of honor and fighting spirit. The pennants from Symon Petliura’s automobile illustrate the memory of the Supreme Commander. The passport of Colonel Oleksandr Vyshnivsky speaks to the institutional maturity of the UNR. Bytynsky’s drawings document the appearance of the Ukrainian army of that era, and the bugle was the voice of an army called to battle.”

Exhibition for the 100th anniversary of Petliura’s death

The returned artifacts will form the basis of a large-scale exhibition, “THE PATH OF HEROES. In Memory of Symon Petliura,” the opening of which is planned for late May. The project is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the death of Symon Petliura — Chairman of the UNR Directory and Supreme Commander of the UNR Army. The new museum exposition will present the history of the struggle for Ukrainian statehood through personal belongings, documents, and symbols of the era, many of which will be seen in Ukraine for the first time.