The project team behind “Digital Museum Collection” has digitized 22 paintings by Ukrainian artist and philanthropist Leonid Inglezi (1882–1972), a prominent figure in Mykolaiv’s cultural life and founder of two local museums. These works, donated by the artist’s descendants from Paris, have now been preserved digitally, allowing for research, conservation, and wider public access—a significant step in safeguarding the artistic heritage of southern Ukraine following its return from abroad.
The digitization project is being implemented by the MY ART Platform in partnership with the Mykolaiv Development Agency and with support from the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation. So far, 19 paintings from the Mykolaiv Regional Museum of Local Lore and three works from the Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum named after Vereshchagin have been digitized, uniting Inglezi’s legacy into a single online collection that will soon be available on the project’s website (museum.myart.org.ua).
“Leonid Inglezi, a Mykolaiv exile with a tragic yet brilliant life, has been gradually returning home from Paris for over thirty years thanks to the efforts of his granddaughter Hanna Khrystoforova,” said Serhiy Piskuriev, senior researcher and curator at the Mykolaiv Regional Museum of Local Lore.
The transfer of the artist’s creative heritage—including paintings, graphics, archival documents, and personal belongings—has been ongoing for decades.
The return of Inglezi’s legacy to Mykolaiv was made possible through the devoted research and efforts of museum staff member Olena Ponomaryova, who passed away prematurely.
Among the digitized works are cityscapes of early 20th-century Mykolaiv, including On the Streets of Mykolaiv (1905), Fountain (1910), Mykolaiv City Hall, House with Planters (1910), Old Cannons (1910), Mykolaiv Elevator (1912), Post Station in Mykolaiv, Troika, and Mysterious Garden. Special attention is also given to works from his French period.
According to Larysa Tveritinova, Deputy Director for Research at the Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum, the museum’s collection includes Inglezi’s View of Mykolaiv, donated by Mykolaiv artist Pavlo Kovalov in 1965, originally exhibited at the Spring Exhibition in Odessa in 1913. In 2010, two additional landscapes—Field. Study and Flowerbed in a Private Garden in La Garenne-Colombo (Paris Suburb)—were added to the museum’s holdings, having been created by Inglezi in France during the 1920s–1930s and donated by his granddaughter.
Inglezi was an active participant in the cultural and civic life of Mykolaiv and Odessa in the early 20th century. He regularly exhibited with the Society of Artists of Southern Ukraine, served on committees establishing the Mykolaiv historical and art museums, taught drawing, drafting, and sculpture at the Mykolaiv Art and Industrial School (1914), was a member of the City Duma (1913–1917), and helped establish Mykolaiv’s football league while financially supporting the city’s football movement.
After the Bolshevik Revolution, Inglezi and his family emigrated to France, initially without resources or support. Despite these challenges, he built a successful career in Boris Anrep’s renowned mosaic workshop, creating mosaics for prominent European palaces and cathedrals until the end of his life.
