Kharkiv Art Museum is one of the oldest and in terms of collection value it is one of the most important museums in Ukraine. The history of the museum collection that celebrate its 200 anniversary this year is of great interest. It contains more than 20 thousand of displays, among them there are unique works of world and Ukrainian masters of painting, graphic arts, sculpture, arts and crafts.

Kharkov Art Museum is one of the oldest museums of Kharkov, and one of the most valuable in Ukraine. The museum collection has more than 20000 works among which are unique masterpieces of Ukrainian and world painting, sculpture, graphics, arts and crafts.

The collection of Kharkov Art Museum was founded in 1805 by Vasiliy Karazin. The constant exhibition has more than 250 works of Ukrainian and Russian art of XIX and XX centuries, where you will find such masterpieces as "Zaporozh kazaks write letter to Turkish sultan" by Ilya Repin, "Istavrian pirats selling plunder" by Semigradsky. Honorable place in the exposition belongs to famous mariner Ayvazovskiy who lived in Kharkov for several years. Moreover, here you will find works of other world famous artists such as Vasilkovskiy, Berkos, Borovikovskiy, Tropinin and others.

The Kharkov Art Museum is located at Sovnarkomovskaya str.11, not far from metro station "Arhitektora Beketova". Working hours: 10:00-19:00, every day except Monday and Tuesday.

Unfortunately, the museum permanent expositionexposition cannot enclose even 10 percent of works of the museum collection. In the art treasury of Kharkov there are works of European level, such as icons of XVI - XIX centuries, canvases of V.Borovikovskiy, D.Levitskiy, A.Losenko, I.Ayvazovskiy, I.Repin, S.Vaislkovskiy, I.Shishkin, A.Benua.

Displays from Kharkov Art Museum have been exhibited in the USA, France, Japan, Israel, Germany, Norway, Bolivia etc.

Founded in 1920, it has been reorganized and renamed several times since then. At first known as the Kharkiv Museum of Church History, it consisted basically of the antiquarian collections of Kharkiv eparchy and Volhynia eparchy and the art collection of Kharkiv University. Its holdings were enriched with precious religious articles that were acquired in the course of registering historical objects belonging to the churches and monasteries of the Kharkiv region. In 1922 the museum was renamed the Kharkiv Museum of Ukrainian Art. It consisted of three departments: architecture, sculpture, and painting. The last encompassed medieval mural paintings, 16th–19th-century icons, portraits, folk paintings, and 19th–20th-century paintings. In 1931 the plastic arts collection was separated from the museum to form the National Ukrainian Painting Gallery. During the 1930s the museum was closed to the public. After the war it resumed operations in 1944.

From 1949 to 1965 it was known as the Kharkiv State Museum of Fine Art, and since 1965 by its present name. The exhibits, which occupy 25 halls, are divided into five sections: prerevolutionary Ukrainian and Russian art, Soviet art, foreign art (very meager), and decorative and applied art. The works of noted Ukrainian masters such as Volodymyr Borovykovsky, Dmytro H. Levytsky, Antin Losenko, and Ivan Aivazovsky are displayed in the Russian art section. A collection of Serhii Vasylkivsky's works, as well as paintings by Porfyrii Martynovych, Petro Levchenko, Mykhailo Berkos, Dmytro Bezperchy, Mykhailo S. Tkachenko, and Taras Shevchenko (a self-portrait), forms an important part of the Ukrainian art section. A separate hall is devoted to Illia Repin's works, including one version of his famous painting The Zaporozhian Cossacks Writing a Letter to the Sultan.

In the Soviet art section, Ukrainian and Russian artists are exhibited side by side, including such noted Ukrainian artists as Mykola Samokysh, Mykola Burachek, Opanas Slastion, Fedir Krychevsky, Oleksander Murashko, Mykhailo Derehus, Ivan Izhakevych, Heorhii Narbut, Mykola Pymonenko, and Tetiana Yablonska. In the 1980s, the museum possessed nearly 20,000 art works. The Kharkiv Art Museum organizes one-man, thematic, and touring exhibitions. The museum building was designed by Oleksii Beketov. An album of the museum with a Ukrainian, Russian, and English text was published in 1983.

The Kharkov Art Museum celebrate its 200 anniversary in 2005. The collection was initiated in 1805 by Vasiliy Nazarovich Karazin, famous scientist and public figure, the founder of the Kharkov University, who bought bought F.Adelung's collection for the University: 2477 graphic works by A.Durer, F.Bouchet. And the names of the talented students of the imperial Kharkov University, I.Betskiy, A.Alferov, went down in the history of the Kharkov Art Museum: thanks to their effort the collection has enlarged with the art works of the world level.

In 1886 the first in Ukraine Art and Industry Museum was open in Kharkov.

On the basis of these collections and private sets the Ukrainian picture-gallery, funds of which numbered 75 thousand items, was formed in 1935. After the World War II only 5 thousand exhibits remained, the rest was destroyed. At present the museum funds number 20 thousand works of painting, graphics, sculpture, arts and crafts.

In 1805 2477 graphic works of outstanding West-European masters (A.Durer, H.Goltsius, L.Gordano, P.Breigel-senoir, Jan van Deik, F.Bouchet etc.) were bought with the help of V.Karazin at the charitable contributions for the Kharkov University. The Fine arts and Antiquities Museum was recognized as necessary teaching and subsidiary institution by the University statute.

In 1858 the collection was enlarged with the present of I.Betskiy, student of the University, 543 works of famous artists of XVI - XVIII centuries (Jos van Kleve, F.Furini, L.Mehus, А.Sakki, P. da Carton, D.Maria Crespi etc.), they are exhibited in the picture-gallery - " miniature of European picture-galleries.

In 1873 under the will of A.Alferov, student of the University, 50 pictures (Jan vab Scorel,F.Floris, S. de Vliger, H. van Sant etc.), 420 drawings and water-colours (Jan van Goyen, P.Molaine, F.Parmigamino, B.Torvaldsen, L.Leidenskiy), three thousand engravings of masters of XVI - XIX centuries of different European schools (D.Khodovetskiy, I.Claine, А.Barch etc.)

In 1922 temporarily the collection became a part of the Artem Allukrainian social museum, where it has replenished with several formerly private collections, including the valuable collection of the Vladimir museum (based on the collection of sugar manufacturer P.Haritonenko). Visit Kharkiv and enjoy its sights and offers. The best way to get there is by flight to Kharkiv.