Pysanka Museum

The Pysanka Museum was built in 2000 in the small city of Kolomyia, Ivano-Frankivska Oblast. The central part of the museum is in the shape of a pysanka (Ukrainian Easter egg). This is the only museum in the world dedicated to the pysanka, and it has become a calling card of the city. In August of 2007 the museum was recognized as a landmark of modern Ukraine.

The museum was opened on September 23, 2000, during the X International Hutsul festival. Director Yaroslava Tkachuk first came up with the idea of a museum in the shape of a pysanka, local artists Vasyl Andrushko and Myroslav Yasinskyi brought the idea to life. The museum is not only shaped like an egg (14 m in height and 10 m in diameter), but parts of the exterior of and inside of the dome are painted to resemble a pysanka.

Museum Collections

At this time, the museum possesses a collection of over 10,000 pysanky. The permanent collection includes pysanky from the majority of the oblasts of Ukraine. Many are modern re-creations of traditional designs, but there is also a fine collection of older pysanky from the Ivano-Frankivsk region that date from the XIX-XX centuries.

There are many examples of both pysanky and other forms of decorated eggs from other Slavic countries (Belarus, the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania) and more distant lands (Sweden, USA, Canada, France, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India).

The museum also presents temporary exhibitions in its galleries. These are usually related to the pysanka and Hutsul Easter traditions, but can also encompass other folk crafts. There are often photographic exhibitions.