Taras Shevchenko Museum

Description

The Taras H. Shevchenko Museum, owned and operated by the Taras H. Shevchenko Museum and Memorial Park Foundation, is a non-profit corporation, founded by the Association of United Ukrainian Canadians, for the purpose of popularizing the life and work of the Bard of Ukraine, and the contribution of Canadians of Ukrainian descent to the social, economic and political life of Canada. See our Mission Statement.
The Museum is located in Toronto and is the second such institution operated by the Foundation. The original Museum, opened to celebrate Canada Day, 1952, was located in a 16 acre park near Oakville, Ontario. It complemented a monument to Taras Shevchenko, the first in the Americas, which was unveiled the previous year, on the 60th anniversary of Ukrainian immigration to this country. The monument and much of the original collection of exhibits were gifts of the people of Ukraine to their kinfolk in Canada. Unfortunately, the original Museum, including its valuable collections, was destroyed by arson in September 1988, and in December 2006, the 3-metre bronze Shevchenko statue was stolen. Today's Museum, unique in the Western world, is similar in size to the original, but has amassed collections far superior in size, quality and variety, including extensive research materials. These efforts, and the ongoing cultural work of the Foundation are entirely financed by personal donations from our friends and supporters. The central focus of the Musem are exhibits dedicated to the art, life and literary legacy of the founder of the modern Ukrainian language. On display are many editions of his Kobzar (poetry), just some of the over 100 in the Museum's collection. As well, the Museum has artistic copies of Shevchenko's creations in many genres, all of professional museum quality, specially commissioned in Ukraine for this Museum. Not all the exhibits available are on display at any one time, but are rotated on a regular basis to correspond with various themes from the life and work of the Bard of Ukraine.