The Volodymyr Korolenko Literary and Memorial Museum is located in a house in the centre of Zhytomyr where the writer spent his childhood and part of his youth. The museum was opened on July 27, 1973, on the 120th anniversary of Korolenko's birth. It operates as a department of the Zhytomyr Regional Museum of Local Lore.

Childhood in Zhytomyr

Volodymyr Korolenko was born in Zhytomyr in 1853 and lived here until 1866. His father, Halaktion Korolenko, was a district judge, and his mother came from a Polish noble family. The writer described his Zhytomyr years in the short stories "At Night", "Paradox", "My First Acquaintance with Dickens", and particularly vividly in the autobiographical "The History of My Contemporary". In it, old Zhytomyr comes to life with its streets, gymnasium, and multilingual population.

Volodymyr Korolenko, portrait painted by Illya Repin
Volodymyr Korolenko, portrait by Illya Repin. Image: Ilya Repin, public domain

Later, Korolenko became a famous writer and publicist, as well as a human rights advocate: he publicly defended the unfairly accused, notably in the Beilis affair. He spent the last years of his life in Poltava.

House where the Korolenko family lived
The house where the Korolenko family lived. Photo: Grankovskaya, CC BY-SA 4.0

Inside the museum

The museum's collection numbers over 10,000 items. The exhibition occupies seven halls and chronologically tells the story of Korolenko's life, his family, friends, and environment, as well as the cultural life of the era. Among the exhibits are personal belongings of the Korolenko family, lifetime editions of his works, books by contemporary writers, graphics, and paintings.

In 1993, for the 140th anniversary of the writer's birth, the museum hosted the all-Ukrainian scientific conference "Spiritual Roots of Zhytomyr Region".

Korolenko sites in Zhytomyr

Nearby, at 40 Velyka Berdychivska Street, stands the building of the former boys' gymnasium where Korolenko studied — today it is also a landmark. A walk from the museum to the gymnasium is easy to combine with exploring the old centre: Soborna Square, Zamkova Hill, and the churches.

Former boys' gymnasium on Velyka Berdychivska Street where Korolenko studied
The former boys' gymnasium on Velyka Berdychivska Street where Korolenko studied. Photo: Aneta3456, CC BY-SA 4.0

How to get there

The museum is located at 1 Korolenka Square in the centre of Zhytomyr, a few minutes' walk from Soborna Square. According to the museum, it is open from 10:00 to 18:00, except Sundays and Mondays; it is worth checking the schedule before visiting. Other city landmarks can be found in the article "Zhytomyr — what to see in the city and nearby" and about the Seminary Church.