During a working trip to the Odessa region, the Ukraine's head of State visited the Odessa National Art Museum and got acquainted with the plan of its restoration.

The Odessa National Art Museum will be restored within the framework of the "Big Restoration" National Programme.

The President watched the exhibitions of works by Ivan Aivazovsky, Wassily Kandinsky, masters of the Odessa School of Painting, works by artists of the XX century, and works of contemporary art.

Volodymyr Zelensky also viewed the exhibition of works by Aleksandr Roytburd, who was the director of this museum in 2018-2021. After his death, the President of Ukraine signed a decree granting the Odessa Art Museum national status.

The President noted that the state, for its part, should make efforts to restore the historic building of the museum.

The museum is located in the building of the former Potocki Palace, built-in 1810-1820. The building is a monument of the cultural heritage of national importance. In addition to the main building, the museum has administrative and fund rooms, a grotto, a restoration workshop, a specially equipped classroom for children’s classes, and the “Yellow Giants” gallery.

Thanks to the energy and talent of Aleksandr Roytburd, who left a part of his soul here, the museum has acquired a completely different meaning not only for Odessa but also for the whole of Ukraine. This place is becoming a kind of magnet for art lovers from around the world.

Volodymyr Zelensky

This year, it is planned to repair the ceilings, walls, floors, and roofs, provide sound and thermal insulation, repair all facades and update lighting, and equip inclusive bathrooms and an elevator. Completion of the work is expected in 2025.

It is necessary not only to restore the building, to improve the environment where the exhibits are stored but also to create decent conditions for museum staff, for whom it is not just a job but a life vocation.

Volodymyr Zelensky

They plan to spend more than UAH 142 million on the restoration of the museum, but there is only 15 million so far. On the day of Zelensky's arrival in Odessa, the regional department of capital construction and road facilities announced a tender for the selection of a contractor for repair and restoration work in the museum. Bids are accepted until November 17, and the auction will take place on the 22nd. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has already allocated 15 million uah, but the museum is unlikely to master them in the remaining two months before the end of the year.

In 2020, the museum was visited by about 30 thousand people, and in eight months of 2021 - more than 22.3 thousand. The collection of the museum includes artworks of national importance. The number of museum items in 2020 amounted to more than 9.7 thousand, and this year another 403 works have been received by the museum fund.