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A photo of One-Street Museum by Kamelot –

Top 10 Fun Facts about One Street Museum

The One-Street Museum is a museum on Andriyivskyy Descent in Kyiv, Ukraine. It houses many of the historic items of the descent, containing more than 7000 exhibits. They include information about Saint Andrew’s Church, the castle of Richard Lionheart, and the many other buildings of the Descent.

The museum hosts historical documents, manuscripts, autographs, antique postcards, photos, and a great number of objects from the antique interior. In the article are the top ten fun facts about One-street Museum.

1. House Number 34 has housed most of the very learned people in Ukraine

A photo of House No.34 by Koswac –

During the twentieth century, various Ukrainian learned icons lived in the house at number 34. Therefore the museum has a collection of various works by Ukrainian philologist P. Zhitetsky, Arabist and professor of the Kyiv University T. Kezma, journalist and public figure A. Savenko, and Ukrainian writer G. Tyutyunnyk.

2. One-Street Museum housed most of the Ukrainian local figures

A photo of Mikhail Bulgakov, a world-famous writer by Uknown Author –

Apart from philologist P. Zhitetsky, professor T. Kezma, A. Savenko, and writer G. Tyutyunnyk who managed to live in house number 34, other local figures lived in the entire street. The other local figures formed another part of the collection in the museum.

The other part of the museum collection, therefore, is the memorabilia of professors of Kyiv Theological Academy A. Bulgakov, S. Golubev, P. Kudryavtsev, F. Titov, A. Glagolev; doctors Th. Janovsky and D. Popov, and other prominent local figures.

3. The One Street Museum became a nominee for European Museum Forum in 2002

The European Museum Forum is a museum organization under the Council of Europe. It is an independent, non-profit-making charity, registered in the United Kingdom and founded in 1977.

The European Museum Forum organizes the annual European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA), also established in 1977. EMYA is awarded to existing museums that have undergone modernization or expansion and newly opened museums, during the previous three years.

One-Street Museum became part of the international organization under the auspices of the Council of Europe and the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Fabiola of Belgium. It was the first and only museum in Ukraine to participate in the Forum.

4. The main principle of the museum is a strict and impartial reflection of reality

The One Street Museum illustrates the way the local icons lived and worked without any preconception or bias towards each other and the environment. Just as these people were neighbors living in Andreyevsky spusk, so they continue to be alongside in the museum exposition.

There are neither cuts of historical processes, nor cultural, religious, or ideological bias. The museum exposition shows history just as it is. This makes the museum a well-laid down new path in the museum business.

5. One-Street Museum was established in 1991

A photo of Mikhail Bulgakov, a world-famous writer by Uknown Author –

One-Street Museum was established in May 1991. The person who is mostly accredited for the establishment of the One-Street Museum is Andreyevsky spusk who is associated solely with the name Mikhail Bulgakov. Mikhail Bulgakov is a world-famous writer, who lived in the descent in building No.13.

The creators of the One Street Museum have been exploring the mysteries of the old Kyiv street Andreyevsky spusk for many years. The museum is small in size but very deep in substance. The One-Street Museum became one of the most popular museums in Kyiv.

6. The One Street Museum is a museum on Andriyivskyy Descent

Andriivskyi Descent is a historic descent connecting Kyiv’s Upper Town neighborhood and the historically commercial Podil neighborhood. The street, often advertised by tour guides and operators as the “Montmartre of Kyiv”‘

Montmartre of Kyiv is a major tourist attraction of the city. It is included in the list of national landmarks by the government resolution.

7. House No.13 where the founder of One-Street Museum lived

A photo of House No.13 by Prymasal –

The address, at No.13 Andriivskyi Descent is still commonly called the Bulgakov House and displays a plaque with the address the writer used in his book (No.13 Alekseevsky Spusk). A popular writer’s statue is also installed near the museum.

A museum was opened inside the preserved building to mark the 100th birthday of Mikhail Bulgakov on May 15, 1991 (This was when One-Street Museum was established) The upper floor of the museum houses an exhibition of various Bulgakov objects, and the lower floor contains thematic exhibitions.

To be exclusive the house was built in 1888 and designed by architect N. Gardenin and was thoroughly renovated before the opening of the museum. A memorial plaque with Bulgakov’s portrait is now hanging on the front of the building.

8. The museum also has a large collection of antique books

Book relics of the exposition in the museum include a famous Trebnik of the Metropolitan of Kyiv Petro Mohyla, rare editions of works written by professors and graduates of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, unique books written by the Ukrainian Walter Scott, M.Grabovsky, the Defender of Orthodoxy, A.Muravyov, and the works of Mikhail Bulgakov published in his lifetime.

9. One-Street Museum houses information about the Saint Andrew’s Church

A photo of St Andre Church, Kyiv by Kaiser matias –

St Andrew’s Church is an Orthodox church in Kyiv, constructed between 1747 and 1754 to a design by the Italian architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli. It is a rare example of Elizabethan Baroque in Ukraine.

The church is situated on a steep hill, where Andrew the Apostle is believed to have foretold the great future of the place as the cradle of Christianity in the Slavic lands. The church overlooks the historic Podil neighborhood.

Since 1968, the building has been a museum, part of the National Sanctuary “Sophia of Kyiv” as a landmark of cultural heritage.

10. The Castle of Richard the Lionheart is the House Numer 15 in the museum

The Castle of Richard Lionheart photo by Andrew Milligan Sumo –

House No. 15, known among the capital’s locals and guests as ‘the Castle of Richard the Lionheart,’ is one of the most attractive and mysterious buildings in Kyiv. Despite its romanticized name, the house has nothing to do with English King Richard the First.

The writer Viktor Nekrasov gave such a nickname to the unusual building in Neo-Gothic style for its resemblance to medieval knightly castles. The Castle of Richard the Lionheart was built in the early 20th century by wealthy capital industrialist Dmitry Orlov’s order, who intended it to be a lodging house.

However, weird things started to happen to the house from construction’s beginning. In 1904, conflagration broke out at the building site. The locals considered that it was caused by evil spirits. The house has had numerous owners since its construction.

One-Street Museum is quite a fanciful place to visit in Kyiv, Ukraine. You’ll get to experience this kind of lifestyle, free from bias and preconception. Many prominent figures of Ukrainian and Russian science and culture lived in this densely populated street.

One Street Museum
Andreyevsky spusk,2-B
Kyiv, 04070, Ukraine
Nearest station: Kontraktova Ploshcha
Location Map
Tel. +38 (044) 425-03-98
Tel/fax +38 (044) 425-52-62
email: OneStreetMuseum@gmail.com
Open daily from 12 noon to 6 p.m.
Entrance fee: 100 UAH.