Ukraine rebuilds museum devoted to controversial national figure
Roman Shukhevych was a key figure in country’s fight for independence, but has also been accused of being a Nazi collaborator
Ukraine's city of Lviv, alongside the non-governmental organisation New Museum, is rebuilding a museum dedicated to Roman Shukhevych, a Ukrainian nationalist partisan from World War II who fought for Ukrainian independence. Shukhevych, known for his collaboration with the Nazis during 1941-1942, has been labelled a war criminal by Russia and Poland. Despite this, Ukraine views him as a significant figure in their history due to his role in fighting against both the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.
The museum was destroyed by Russian forces in a drone strike on 1 January 2024, following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Since then, Russian forces have targeted numerous cultural institutions in Ukraine, including religious sites, as part of their strategy to undermine Ukrainian identity. Unesco has documented damage to 545 cultural sites across Ukraine, including religious ones.
Shukhevych, born in Lviv in 1907 during its time as part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, fought against the Soviet Union during WWII and, to a lesser extent, against Nazi Germany. He was killed in a shootout with Soviet troops in 1950. The destroyed museum, located in a two-storey building, had opened in 2001 as a branch of the Lviv Museum of History. Most of the artefacts and the monument to Shukhevych outside the museum survived the attack.
The reconstruction of the museum is being funded by private and corporate donors. The Lviv architect Andriy Lesyuk and his firm Guess Line Architects initially won the competition for the redevelopment design but withdrew due to what they perceived as pressure from political decisions. The city council has since released renderings of the reimagined, modernised complex, and construction is underway on the roof and grounds.
The museum could open on 5 March 2027, marking Shukhevych's death date. Various cultural organisations have pledged to rebuild a modern, inclusive cultural sector amid the ongoing Russian attacks on Ukrainian museums.
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