The Oleksandr Lazarevskyi Konotop City Local Lore Museum is one of the oldest and richest museums in Sumy Oblast. It tells the story of the nature, archaeology, history, and ethnography of Konotop and its surroundings. The museum is named after the historian of Left-Bank Ukraine Oleksandr Lazarevskyi, who stood at the origins of Konotop local lore studies.
A Museum Conceived by Lazarevskyi
In the late 19th century, the Konotop Zemsky administration decided to establish a museum of city history. In 1899, historian Oleksandr Lazarevskyi, then a councillor of the Konotop Duma, was elected to a special commission. According to his design, the Zemsky administration decreed the creation of a historical museum and archive, and on September 26, 1900, the first Konotop museum opened in one of the rooms of the Zemsky building. Lazarevskyi himself donated the first exhibits—paintings, ancient weapons, manuscripts—and bibliographer Stepan Ponomarov handed over his library.
After Lazarevskyi's death in 1902, the initiative stalled, and in 1910 many items were transferred to the Chernihiv Historical Museum. The museum was revived in 1920: it was headed by the artist and educator Marko Vainshtein, and townspeople brought remnants of looted landowner collections here. In the 1920s, the Konotop museum became one of the best in Chernihiv Oblast, to which the city belonged at the time.
What is in the Museum
Today, the museum is housed in a separate building constructed in the early 1970s near the city centre. It has nine halls, two of which are for changing exhibitions. The museum includes two departments: the General Drahomyrov Museum-Estate and the Konotop Aviation Museum. It also highlights the Battle of Konotop of 1659—one of the most glorious victories of the Cossack army.
How to Get There
Address: 2 Sadova Street, Konotop. The museum is open from 8:00 to 17:00; due to martial law, it is best to check the schedule beforehand. Nearby is the Ascension Cathedral at the burial site of the participants of the Battle of Konotop.
Tip
After visiting the museum, head to Shapovalivka, where the Cossack Grave holds the remains of those who fought in the 1659 battle. Before travelling to Sumy Oblast, check the security situation and the restrictions imposed by the Sumy Regional Military Administration.
