The National Museum of the History of Ukraine has shown for the first time unique artifacts of the UNR army from the era of the liberation struggles of 1917–1921. Last year they were returned to Ukraine from Canada. Today, April 30, the unique items were presented to journalists, and at the end of May the exhibition “The Path of Heroes. In Memory of Symon Petliura” will be opened to the general public.
The organizers of the event informed Suspilny about this.
More than 1,500 museum items and 123 boxes of archival materials have returned to Ukraine from Canada — these are documents and photographs about the armed struggle of Ukrainians for independence in the 20th century, as well as personal belongings of UNR army members.
Artifacts from the UNR era returned from Canada. Photo provided by the exhibition organizers
The collection was preserved through the efforts of Ukrainian institutions abroad, in particular the Ukrainian Free Academy of Sciences in Canada.
According to the museum's general director, Olena Zemlya, “this is an event of historic proportions for Ukrainian culture. We received not just exhibits — we returned part of our identity.”
Artifacts from the UNR era returned from Canada. Photo provided by the exhibition organizers
Exhibition curator Bohdan Patryliak emphasized the uniqueness of these objects as living witnesses of history:
“Each of these artifacts is not just a museum piece. The flag of the Second Uman Regiment is a symbol of honor and fighting spirit. The memory of the Chief Ataman is illustrated by the flags from Symon Petliura's car. The passport of Colonel Oleksandr Vyshnivskyi is about the institutional maturity of the UNR. Bytynskyi's drawings document the appearance of the Ukrainian army of that time, and the trumpet is the voice of the army calling for battle,” said Bohdan Patryliak.
Exhibition curator Bohdan Patryliak demonstrates returned artifacts from the UNR era, April 30, 2026. Photo provided by the exhibition organizers
These artifacts will be included in the exhibition “The Path of Heroes. In Memory of Symon Petliura”. The project is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the death of Symon Petliura, the head of the Directory of the Ukrainian People's Republic and the chief ataman of the UNR troops. The exhibition is scheduled to open at the end of May.
Artifacts from the UNR era returned from Canada. Photo provided by the exhibition organizers
Today, the National Museum of History of Ukraine and the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation also signed a memorandum of cooperation, which provides for financing the renovation of the museum space. They will also participate in the implementation of exhibition projects, said Artem Mykolaychuk, Chairman of the Foundation's Board.
“Today we must continue the efforts of the fighters for independence – both to preserve and worthily present our heritage for future generations,” said Arem Mykolaychuk.
The Foundation's program director, Yaryna Yasynevych, said that they plan to invest in “the creation of modern exhibition spaces, support for research projects, and the development of new formats for museum interaction with the audience.”