In Konotop, on Drahomyrova Street, in a building of the former estate, there operates a museum dedicated to General Mykhailo Drahomyrov (1830–1905), a native of Konotop, a military theoretician, and a statesman of the Russian Empire. The museum was opened in 2007 following the restoration of the building, and it is a branch of the Oleksandr Lazarevskyi Konotop City Museum of Local Lore.
Who was Drahomyrov
Mykhailo Drahomyrov was born in Konotop into the family of Ivan Drahomyrov — the very same man who built the Ascension Cathedral in the city between 1824 and 1846. The general was a well-known military educator and theoretician. During the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, he commanded the division that crossed the Danube, which is why he is revered in Bulgaria. Toward the end of his life, he served as the Governor-General of Kyiv, Podolia, and Volhynia.
What is in the museum
The museum occupies several rooms of the estate house. The exposition features late 19th- and early 20th-century furniture, paintings by local artists, and items telling the story of Ukrainian-Bulgarian friendship. A bust of the general by Kyiv sculptor B. Dovhan (1982) stands near the house. The memorial complex also includes the Drahomyrov family crypt near the Ascension Cathedral.
How to get there
Address: Konotop, 18 Drahomyrova Street. The museum is open from 8:00 to 17:00, with days off on Saturday and Sunday; due to martial law, it is best to check the schedule in advance. Konotop is a railway hub, with trains running here from Kyiv.
Tip
Combine your visit to the museum with the Ascension Cathedral and the Lazarevskyi Konotop Museum of Local Lore. Before your trip to Sumy Oblast, check the security situation and the restrictions of the Sumy Regional Military Administration.
