Marchuk's painting returned to Ukraine after 30 years, on the eve of Independence Day
On August 24, Ivan Marchuk’s iconic painting “Awakening” (“Ukraine in Bloom”), which had been in New York for over 30 years, was returned to Kyiv. The painting, along with two other works by the artist, was unveiled at the Kyiv City History Museum on the eve of Independence Day.
This was announced by the museum’s director general, Viktoria Mukha.
It is symbolic that the painting, along with the Maestro’s two other works, was returned on the eve of Independence Day, Viktoria Mukha emphasized.
The paintings formed the basis of a joint exhibition by the Kyiv History Museum and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. The return of these artistic masterpieces to their homeland was made possible thanks to the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the personal assistance of the ministry’s head, Andriy Sybiga.
The story of this project began in 2024, when the museum presented the National Bank of Ukraine’s commemorative “Plontanism” coins, whose designs incorporated fragments of “The Awakening.” A year later, the exhibition “Ivan Marchuk: The Awakening” opened, even though the painting itself was not yet in Ukraine. At that time, the curatorial team began working to arrange for the painting’s return home.
“After the works were returned, a real museum marathon began. It was important to us not just to display them. In record time, our curatorial team (Kateryna Nedyak and Tamila Kalitenko) built a cohesive narrative around them — about Ukraine through the eyes of Ivan Marchuk across the decades and the special significance of his works today,” noted the museum’s director.
The exhibition organizers express their gratitude to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, general partner Zoryana Pelekh, art historian Tamara Strypko, as well as all partners and patrons who contributed to the project. The exhibition marks the culmination of the museum’s three-year research and archival work dedicated to the art of Ivan Marchuk.
The exhibition is now open to visitors at the Museum of the History of Kyiv (7 Bohdan Khmelnytskyi St.).
Source: Viktoria Mukha
As a reminder, it was not Apostol who signed the contract regarding Marchuk’s paintings.
Works by Ivan Marchuk, an artist with a unique style whose paintings have found their way into museums around the world and have long been part of Ukrainian cultural identity, are once again on display in Kyiv. The exhibition “Ivan Marchuk: Museum Collections” opened at the “Chocolate House,” which is hosting an exhibition of this caliber for the first time since 2022.
Sotheby’s auction house has listed Ivan Marchuk’s still life “Generous Planet,” painted in 1994 during the artist’s American period, for online bidding. The work will be one of the key lots in the “Modern & Contemporary Discoveries” auction, and its estimated value ranges from €40,000 to €60,000.
