The Klymentiy Sheptytsky Museum of Folk Architecture and Life in Lviv (Lviv Skansen) was founded in 1971 and is a landmark cultural institution. Since its foundation, the Museum has been preserving, researching and promoting the culture, folk architecture and traditional way of life of western Ukraine. Over this period, a collection of over 21,000 items has been assembled, and 110 large architectural structures have been gathered, including a unique collection of sacred buildings that is the largest of its kind in Europe.

Above all, the museum is dedicated to the preservation and restoration of monuments of folk architecture. Staff search for historic buildings in various regions, organise their transport to the museum grounds and carry out restoration work.

Museum staff also organise expeditions to villages, during which they collect ethnographic materials and study traditional culture, crafts, way of life and architecture. Based on this research, the museum holds thematic academic conferences, publishes academic collections and catalogues, and exchanges expertise with international partners.

The museum is also actively working on building, preserving and digitising its collections. The collections are expanded through expeditions, academic research and donations to the museum.

The museum has permanent exhibitions in its ethnographic sections, which showcase the distinctive features of traditional culture in various regions. In addition, temporary exhibitions are regularly organised — thematic projects, art exhibitions and presentations of the museum’s collections. Educational and outreach activities play a significant role. The new information and education centre hosts participatory educational programmes, lectures and interactive sessions for children.

In addition, the museum actively organises cultural events. Every year, the Lviv Open-Air Museum hosts a variety of events dedicated to the study and promotion of traditions, culture, folk architecture, crafts and history, as well as the contemporary reinterpretation of traditional art.

https://lvivskansen.org/