


Pyrohiv (
Ukrainian: Пирогів), also known as Pirogovo (
Russian: Пирого́во), originally a village south of
Kiev, is a neighborhood in the southern outskirts of the
Ukrainian capital city. It is now home to an
outdoor Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine.
Although the origin of the
toponym is uncertain, pyrohiv (
gen. pl.) is a
Ukrainian word meaning a kind of pastry.Museum
Wooden church at the Pyrohiv Museum
The territory of historic Pyrohiv now serves as the location of a 150-
Hectare (370
acre)
outdoor Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine. Founded in 1969, the museum contains over 300 pieces of folk architecture brought here from all parts of Ukraine and carefully reassembled. The picturesque hill with several
windmills is the museum centerpiece and the entire territory of the museum is divided into sectors, each representing the folk architecture and life of a specific Ukrainian region.
Commoner's homes, buildings of
small trade,
commerce and local administration, and old wooden village churches contain authentic items that represent the everyday lifestyle of Ukrainian villagers and townsfolk. Local volunteers and modern Ukrainian
artisans selling their wares dress in old-style clothes and demonstrate the use of authentic everyday items to visitors.
Pyrohiv museum has been accorded the status of State Museum of Ukraine and is affiliated with the Institute of Arts, Folklore and Ethnology of the
National Academy of Science of Ukraine.
[
edit]
Recent controversies
Fire safety is a significant concern as most of the museum's structures are wooden, and many houses have
thatched roofs.
In recent years, several of the museum's wooden buildings were damaged by fires. The most recent fire on
September 15,
2006 completely destroyed one house and heavily damaged two others. According to both Institute Director Hanna Skrypnyk and the Ukrainian Ministry of Emergencies, the fire was the result of
arson, set to cover up the theft of a valuable collection of eighteenth-century
cassones which were exhibited in the burned building. Skrypnyk noted that in Soviet times the museum had a designated security group and
fire house, which were disbanded after the
Soviet collapse owing to negligence in financing on the part of the Ukrainian government.
The land usage in the vicinity of the museum has become the center of scandal as the local authorities approved several commercial construction projects, including a luxurious high-rise entertainment complex and a
gasoline filling station. The building construction is now stalled due to the public outrage but the filling station construction near the museum entrance has proceeded.
The entrance to the museum
The
windmillThe
beehiveThe church and beehives