Attack on masterpieces. The Russians have already damaged the Sumy Art Museum for the second time, which still retains a collection of painting

On April 13, two Russian rockets hit the city center. They took away the lives of 32 people. And many historic city buildings were damaged. Among them is the Nikanor Onatsky Regional Art Museum. This building is not destroyed for the first time. In 2023, during a Russian rocket attack, an explosive wave broke the roof of the building. This time the windows were taken out.

Despite the constant threat, which intensified after the start of the special operation of the Armed Forces in the adjacent Kursk region, the museum collection was not evacuated. Although officials and museums prefer not to distribute this information, you do not hide in the bag. At the beginning of March this year, the artman Tatiana Shatz She saw On the walls of this museum, paintings of famous modernist artists, in particular « Girl with buckets » Mykola Pymonenko.

Journalist Up. Culture Daria Lobanok I went to Sumy to find out in what condition the art museum and its collection is.

The Theater Square in Sumy was reconstructed shortly before the invasion in 2021. Here are locatedThe Museum of Lore, Shchepkin Theater and Art Museum. All of them were damaged by the missile strike on the historic city center.

The entrance to the art museum looks at the symbol of Sumy – gazebo. The two -storey building is a monument of architecture of the late nineteenth century. The museum was founded by the outstanding Sumy and the victim of Stalin’s repression Nikanor Kharitonovich Onatsky.

Now the museum has more than 17 thousand works in the collection, among them are the works of Mykola Pymonenko, Vasyl Krychevsky, Grigory Gavrilenko, Archip Kuinji, Ivan Aivazovsky, Elijah Repin, Maria Primachenko and many other well -known Ukrainian artists.

Approaching the museum, it is not immediately visible damage from the explosion that was heard in the neighboring quarter. But finally, a red restrictive ribbon flows into the eye. Next, I see a man who hammens the beaten windows.

The main entrance is decorated with updated colored doors. The room itself is quite dark and very quiet. At the entrance at the table sits a security guard and two more museum staff. While I am called a director, I notice stained glass windows. They are goals.

I hear the steps that appear to the moon in silence. This is the acting director’s acting duties Power Yarmak. We get acquainted and she immediately begins to reassure:

« We have minor damage – only external, no internal. There were no people in the premises, because we are not working on the weekend. The windows were sprinkled on the first and second floor, but we have already closed everything. I think we were the least injured from all cultural institutions »– says Vlad.

Most windows in the museum are closed with bags

Daria Lobanok

The head of the museum invites to his office to the second floor, where we go ancient stairs. Between the first and second floor, I see a mastered and painted large window.

Inside the museum does not look as large as from the outside. Even high ceilings do not add volume. The spaces here are broken into small cozy rooms. The sun’s rays should light the rooms inside, but now the windows are filled with bags and closed curtains, so the room is quite dark.

While we are leaving, the authorities tell me how the museum is currently working: the number of workers has decreased, about the youth who joined the work immediately after the student bench.

Earlier on the second floor there was a constant exposure of decorative and applied arts: towels, jugs, icons and folk attire. Now this space is closed, no one is allowed here.

However, on the ground floor, the museum continues to take action. We go here again. I am shown the premises where nThe exhibition of the Odessa artist lasted the whole month there Stas of mourning.

« After the exhibition, he gave our museum 12 works. That is, our collection is well filled even during the war. We have our own center, the Sumy center of the Ukrainian National Union of Artists, they, when exhibitions are held, usually give their works », «  – says the manager.

The exhibition hall is dedicated to the military. There are also paintings of Sumy and Odessa artists as well as designer costumes

Daria Lobanok

The first room we go to is very small. It is dedicated to the military. It contains only a few paintings by Sumy artists and donated by Odessa Stas Zaghorlogbnyuk. There are also several suits and dresses made by designer Svetlana Volik.

Power Yarmak tells about every dress as a work of art, especially the pixel, called « Glory to Ukraine ».

« We had an exhibition » Wedding Through the Age « and there were some photos old from private collections. And we brought our family photos, grandmothers, parents, some employees even our wedding photos were taken. And we had some photos from the wedding in the military. This wedding dress was also for military service. »– the director shares memories.

Vlad Yarmak shows the wedding pixel dress « Glory to Ukraine »

Daria Lobanok

Another yellow dress is dedicated to the work of rescuers. On top of the dress is depicted as SES employees restore damaged homes.

Chevrons of all brigades that defended Sumy region in early 2022

Daria Lobanok

We go into the next room in which I see many paintings. The authorities say that these are paintings by the Sumy Union of Artists. Then it forbids me to remove them and gets me out of this room very quickly.

We go to the next hall where Sumy artist is exhibited Alexander Tregubovawhich has been 73 years old. She shared with the museum work from her personal collection. I was allowed to take a photo of only one side of a room that does not see ancient furniture. A little later we will return to this issue. In the meantime, we continue the excursion.

The hall in which the works of Sumy artist from a private collection are exhibited

Daria Lobanok

There are many plans for the following events in the museum – have many arrangements with Sumy artists. The next room in which we go dark and more resembles the composition. Vlad Nikolaevna says: « And in general, the situation we have this … » – lifts the curtains, which again I meet the bags of windows.

We return to the office. By profession, Ms. Vlad is a restorator. In her small office there are some interesting volumetric figures on the desktop.

The picture « Girl with buckets » Mykola Pymonenko, who hung on the wall of the museum in March 2025

I am interested in the issue of evacuation of the museum collections, but Vlad Nikolaevna replies that the information about it goes under the stamp « Secret Information ».

« There is a law on the museum. Since 2014, the lists of the first, second stage of works belonging to the State Collection of Ukraine have been approved. Of course, the evacuation in these queues has already taken place, but understand, the collections are big.

That is, if we turn to a museum, people make exceptions for us and they remove some of their exhibition areas, turning this part into funds for another museum. First, the exhibition area is reduced for them, and secondly, the conditions should be needed for them, « – The director tells the difficulties that occur during evacuation.

Vlad Nikolaevna explains that the museum is reluctant to keep valuable works – a great responsibility. The biggest problem in storing museum collections is not attached to this room.

« Every museum understands, if he has some town that he is not filled. It is clear that there will be no normal temperature and humid regime in that town. He cannot take other people’s works there, because he is responsible »– the manager notes.

An exhibition of works by Alexandra Tregubova continues in the museum

Daria Lobanok

But the basement of the art museum has the necessary conditions, convinces Yarmak. Earlier, the museum was installed biojudrive – equipment that helps the room to control the moisture level inside.

« We have good basements in which we can store some of the exhibits. It is also a more or less safe place for employees and for the first two years we even held various events there. When there was anxiety, we lowered our visitors in shelter and conducted events there »– says Yarmak.

Vlad Nikolaevna further assures that it will be very successful with the challenges during the war. In particular, he tells how she repaired the room after shelling in 2023. Then the roof roared in the museum, it began to flow, Pilsnyava began to appear on the second floor. But with the help of international organizations, it was possible to restore the roof and install a modern waste system.

The evacuation of the Yarmak collection speaks extremely reluctant. And in general, he prefers evacuation to evacuate. She says it is a temporary movement because, in her opinion, evacuation is when they were collected and loaded with the entire collection at the same time. And some of the works were taken from the museum to different cities. Without details.

”The war will ever end. And then our main task is that our collection returns to us to the museum, so that nothing happens to it « – summarizes the director.

I ask why I was not allowed to photograph the works of the Sumy Union of Artists. Vlad Nikolaevna replied that there were unawacified exhibits there. What exactly – did not say. Like, the post of Tatiana Shats on social networks has already made enough noise.

The painting « Embroidery » Andrey Kotska hung in March 2025 on the walls of the art museum

I ask if the museum has some plan B in case of re -onset on the amount. However, I do not get the answers here. The head of the art museum invites me to go into the basement and see how the system of control of the humidity of the room works.

« Look, this is the same bioodrive. It has several parts scattered on the hallway. Therefore, there is no chew or humidity here, » – says the manager proudly.

Equipment that deprived the room of rawness and mold

Daria Lobanok

The room we are in is warm and dry. We rise to the exit and complete the conversation.

The sensors are scattered on the basement and help control humidity mode

Daria Lobanok

Currently, the editorial office of UP Culture has sent a request to the chairman of the Sumy Ovia with a request to explain whether the evacuation of museum collections is ensured in the region. And waiting for answers.

The city of Sumy is located 30 kilometers from the Russian border. April 9 Commander -in -Chief of the Armed Forces Alexander Sirsky statedthat the Russians have actually started an offensive in Sumy and Kharkiv regions.

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