On 14 September, the “Sacred Treasures from Kyiv” exhibition will open at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, featuring seven artefacts from the collection of the National Preserve “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra”. The British Council in Ukraine reported this.
The exhibits include key liturgical objects in the Ukrainian Orthodox tradition, created by Kyiv goldsmiths during the Baroque period.
According to the organisers, the exhibition continues the long-standing cooperation between the Lavra and the Victoria and Albert Museum. One focus of this collaboration has been research into the Royal Doors, which were removed from the Lavra during the Soviet period and for decades were described and interpreted by scholars through the lens of Russian imperial ideology.
The Royal Doors are now displayed at the museum on long-term loan from the Gilbert Trust for the Arts. From 14 September, visitors will also be able to see seven artefacts from the Preserve’s collection, allowing them to better understand the connection between the works within a shared Ukrainian artistic tradition and more accurately present the provenance and history of the Royal Doors.
“This exhibition provides an opportunity to tell a story that goes far beyond the artefacts themselves. The silver Royal Doors, together with other treasures from the collection of the National Preserve ‘Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra’, reveal an entire chapter of Ukrainian cultural heritage that remains largely unknown outside Ukraine. Through these works, international audiences are introduced to the Ukrainian school of sacred goldsmithing of the 18th century — one of the highest achievements of Ukrainian Baroque art. It is particularly important to us that, through our partnership with the Victoria and Albert Museum, this story will be presented to the world and placed in an international context as an integral part of Europe’s shared cultural heritage,” said Maksym Ostapenko, Director General of the National Preserve “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra”.
The artefacts will be on display for a year, until 17 September 2027. The project will also feature public talks and a conference.
The exhibition was made possible with the support of the British Council and the Gilbert Trust for the Arts, with the participation of the Ukrainian Institute, the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the Embassy of Ukraine in the United Kingdom.