It should be admitted that the Police Museum has existed in Kharkiv for a long time now. There were several such museums in the former Soviet Union, but our museum was the highly appreciated by high rank police officials from other towns. There were even attempts to emulate Kharkiv museum. But during the period of separation of former republocs and "desovietization" the museum was forgotten.

Fortunately there are people in Kharkiv who realise that history is history no matter what some other people would want it to look like. It is memory and experience of the past generations, and without realising it nothing can be achieved neither now nor in the future.

The museum was restored and taken care of by the chief of internal affairs administrative department Vitaly Muzyka who initiated and closely watched over its restoration. Moreover the decision was made to create a commemorative complex with a monument to police officers killed by criminal offenders during piece time. This monument was set up in 1995 and became an integral part of the Alchevskys house, the chapel, and the park in Sovnarkomovskaya street. It came to be a tradition for Kharkiv police to mark the police day here, young officers of the administrative department swear here officially.

But there is more to it. Something that is really good will always draw attention to it. Now Kharkiv police memorial, the only one in Ukraine, is put on the visit list of VIPs coming to Kharkiv. They visit the memorial and place a wreath at the monument. The President of Ukraine visited Kharkiv and the museum in autumn 1997.

Everyone who visits the museum finds many interesting things: counterfeit foreign banknotes and papers - "masterpieces" made by "artists" of criminal world, self made weapons seized from gangsters, and a formal helmet of an English policeman - a present from British colleagues to Kharkiv Police Museum. But the most elevated impression that one gets here is the feeling of unity of the past, the present and the future: the museum does not make division between Tsarist, Soviet and sovereign history. The exhibits tell about the formation of the law and order office in Kharkiv since the time it was created.

As the town was growing, its advantageous position and fast economic development always attracted not only merchants and entrepreneurs, manufacturers and factory owners, businessmen, artists and scientists. The representatives of the criminal world were just as interested in it. And they had to be fought against. And this fight was successfully waged by consecutive chiefs of the police office in various periods of history.

Museum of the police in Kharkov is one of the most interesting places to visit, because it offers a rather extensive exposition for tourists, which was collected over a fairly long period of existence of the museum.

The uniqueness of the Kharkov police museum is in the fact that there were only a few such museums in the former Soviet Union, but after the collapse of the country the museum in Kharkov gradually began to decline.

The Kharkov police museum was newly opened in 1995 with the start of works on the full restoration of the museum with the support of the chief of regional management of home affairs in Kharkov region, Vitali Musyka. He also contributed to the installation and unveiling of the monument to policemen, killed by criminals in peacetime. Thus, the memorial has been completely restored and repaired.

The Museum of the police contains unique exhibits: counterfeit currency and documents seized from villains, different variations of homemade weapons and even a grand British Police Helmet, brought from Britain as a gift. In addition, the exposition of the museum displays the entire process of becoming of law enforcement in Kharkov since the founding of the city.

Currently the police memorial is unique in the entire territory of Ukraine. It is visited by all the high official guests of the country. Visit Kharkiv and enjoy its sights and offers. The best way to get there is by flight to Kharkiv.