DECOLONIZATION STRATEGIES IN THE MODERN MUSEUM SPACE: EXPERIENCE OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM “KYIV ART GALLERY”

Abstract

The article presents a fundamental art-historical study of modern decolonization strategies within the space of the Ukrainian art museum, using the activity of the National Museum “Kyiv Art Gallery” as a primary case study. The relevance of the chosen topic is dictated by the urgent necessity for a profound re-evaluation of museum collections that, throughout a long historical period, remained under the powerful influence of imperial ideology, colonial narratives, and strict Soviet censorship. The author provides a comprehensive analysis of the complex mechanisms for the recontextualization of museum objects that were historically formed within the framework of the Russian imperial discourse. This historical positioning inevitably led to the neutralization of artists’ national identities, the appropriation of their creative achievements, and the systematic distortion of original art-historical contexts. The theoretical and methodological framework of this research consists of the conceptual developments of D. Pak and L. Smith, which have been meticulously adapted by the authors to the specific challenges of contemporary Ukrainian museum practice under the conditions of full-scale war. The paper consistently examines the stages of museum decolonization: from the critical revision of scholarly attribution of artworks and the clarification of masters’ biographical data to the creation of fundamentally new curatorial interpretations and innovative exhibition solutions. Special focus is placed on the analysis of high-profile exhibition projects such as “Face to Face” and “Born in Ukraine”. These initiatives are examined as effective and powerful tools for restoring national artistic identity and the systematic deconstruction of the imperial myth regarding the existence of a “unified Russian cultural space”. The study analyzes how, through a radical change in exhibition logic, the introduction of updated scholarly labeling, and the expansion of accompanying narrative texts, the names of prominent Ukrainian masters are being returned to the domestic and global cultural spheres.
It is demonstrated that decolonization processes in contemporary Ukrainian realities are not only an internal scientific endeavor but also a vital strategic component of cultural marketing. This allows for the effective actualization of Ukrainian cultural heritage within European and global intellectual contexts. The article emphasizes the vital importance of developing new conceptual exhibition models based on the principles of inclusivity, historical justice, ethics, and a deep critical analysis of the colonial past. The research findings convincingly confirm that the transformation of the museum space is a key stage in the process of forming modern national consciousness and the full integration of Ukrainian classical art into the current global art-historical discourse. This process ensures that the museum functions as a dynamic institution capable of representing national heritage accurately in the 21st century.