Exhibition “PATH OF HEROES. In Memory of Symon Petliura” in Kyiv: Over 200 Artifacts from the Diaspora
On Tuesday, May 26, 2026, the National Museum of the History of Ukraine (2 Volodymyrska Street) will open the exhibition “PATH OF HEROES. In Memory of Symon Petliura” — the first in independent Ukraine to present personal belongings and artifacts from the era of the Ukrainian Revolution of 1917–1921, preserved in the diaspora for over 100 years.
What Has Returned from the Diaspora
The exhibition features over 200 items from the collection of the Military History Museum and Archive of the Ukrainian Free Academy of Arts and Sciences (UVAN) in Canada. The Ukrainian diaspora preserved them for decades with the intention of returning them to Ukraine after the restoration of independence. In accordance with the “Testament” of the Military Museum’s founders, the collection has been transferred to the National Museum of the History of Ukraine. The return of this heritage is a historic event — it is not merely about museum objects, but about restoring the wholeness of Ukrainian memory.
As we previously reported, the artifacts of the Army of the Ukrainian People’s Republic from Canada had already drawn wide public attention during a media preview at the Kyiv museum.
What Visitors Can See
Among the exhibits are personal items belonging to prominent military and political figures of the Ukrainian Revolution:
- a “Corona” typewriter that belonged to Symon Petliura;
- an officer’s bayonet of Major General of the UNR Army Volodymyr Salsky;
- uniform details of Yevhen Konovalets and Andriy Melnyk.
A special place in the exhibition is held by the battle standards of the UNR Army, including the regimental banner of the 2nd Uman Regiment of Mounted Zaporozhians “To the Death for Ukraine,” as well as military decorations, riflemen’s postcards, and original photographs of the UNR Army. Of particular note is an extensive collection of works by Mykola Bytynsky — a renowned heraldist, graphic artist, painter, and scholar — covering heraldry, military decoration design, Ukrainian military uniforms, and military seals. Most of the exhibits are being shown in independent Ukraine for the first time.
Exhibition Supported by the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation
The Pylyp Orlyk Foundation signed a memorandum with the National Museum of the History of Ukraine and under its terms supported the renovation and arrangement of the exhibition space on the second floor of the museum, where the “PATH OF HEROES. In Memory of Symon Petliura” exhibition will be held.
Opening Ceremony Participants
Speakers at the opening will include: Olena Zemlyana, Director General of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine; Bohdan Patrilyak, curator of the exhibition; Artem Mykolaichuk, Chair of the Board of the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation; Yaryna Yasynievych, Program Director of the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation.
Today, Ukrainians are defending their independence in armed struggle against the same enemy as 100 years ago. The exhibition “PATH OF HEROES. In Memory of Symon Petliura” demonstrates the continuity of this struggle and carries profound symbolic meaning for the heirs of Symon Petliura’s cause and all those who fought for Ukraine’s independence.
