For those seeking deeper meanings — the intimate gallery The Naked Room introduces contemporary Ukrainian artists, while the Ivan Honchar Museum on Lavrska Street reminds us where our culture began. These six locations are not just about exhibitions, but about experiences, emotions, and the feeling of belonging to a city that is constantly changing but always has something to surprise you with.
M17 Contemporary Art Center
The M17 Contemporary Art Center is one of the key platforms of contemporary Ukrainian art, combining exhibition, research, and educational activities. Founded in 2010, the 1,200 m² space has become a hub for international collaborations, art forums, and bold experiments that shape the face of Ukrainian culture.
M17 operates as an open laboratory — here, large-scale exhibitions are presented, educational programs for artists and curators are created, and new trends in global art are discussed. The center actively develops the M17 Sculpture Project, dedicated to three-dimensional art, and has also established the M17 Sculpture Prize — the largest professional award for sculptors in Ukraine.
Among the most notable projects in recent years are “Avant-Garde: In Search of the Fourth Dimension,” the forum “New Generation: The Artist and His Generation” marking the 140th anniversary of Kazimir Malevich, the international program “The Great Circle,” and the festival Frontier. New Monuments, which combined art with VR technologies.
Thanks to its modern technical facilities, the center hosts museum-level exhibitions and collaborates with leading Ukrainian and international cultural institutions. The architecture of the building, redesigned in 2018, also became part of the concept — the pattern on the facade is based on a square rotated 45 degrees, a reference to Kazimir Malevich and the traditions of Ukrainian avant-garde — an art movement that was also ahead of its time.
Address: 102–104 Antonovycha St.
Art Space “Tower”
If M17 is about scale and museum-level projects, then the “Tower” at KPI is about coziness, youth, and inspiration. Located in the left tower of the main building of the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, it became an example of how a student initiative can bring new life to a historical building and turn it into an open cultural hub.
Opened in 2014 after reconstruction, the “Tower” art space now operates as a gallery, coworking area, and meeting place for the creative community. Here you can attend workshops, film screenings, literary evenings, apartment concerts, stand-ups, and even board game tournaments. In the courtyard — open-air events, and at the top — a small observation deck offering a view of the KPI campus.
The Tower Gallery has become a space for students and graduates of the Polytechnic Institute who showcase their own photo exhibitions, paintings, installations, and multimedia experiments. It was here that the first “KPILook” exhibition took place.
Address: 37 Peremohy Ave., KPI Building No. 1 (left tower)
Jellyfish Museum
Want to see one of the most hypnotic exhibitions in Kyiv? Visit the Jellyfish Museum — the largest collection of these creatures in Eastern Europe. The space introduces visitors to the fascinating world of underwater life forms that have existed on Earth for over 600 million years.
In the dark hall, aquariums glow softly as jellyfish drift gracefully, resembling luminous sculptures. Visitors can learn about the life cycle, behavior, and ecological role of jellyfish in marine ecosystems. Because of their short lifespan, the exhibition changes several times a year, so even regular visitors always find something new.
The Jellyfish Museum was created in 2018 by a team of Ukrainian aquarists and engineers. Today it is not only a photogenic spot for family outings or dates but also an educational space that combines science, biology, and aesthetics.
Address: 7 Khreshchatyk St.
State Toy Museum
Another great place to spend the weekend with the whole family is the State Toy Museum on Klovskyi Descent. This is a unique space that has existed since 2005 and holds more than 15,000 exhibits, including industrial, folk, and handmade toys.
In three exhibition halls, visitors can see over two thousand toys grouped into themed displays: “The History of the Toy,” “Ukrainian Folk Toy,” and a hall of rotating exhibitions that is regularly updated.
The museum will be a true discovery not only for children but also for adults, who can dive into their own memories and see how childhood has changed across generations.
Address: 8 Klovskyi Descent
The Naked Room
The Naked Room is one of Kyiv’s most recognizable contemporary art galleries, which opened in 2018 near the Golden Gate. It was founded by independent curators Liza Herman and Maria Lanko together with Swiss filmmaker Marc Wilkins. From its very first days, the gallery has become a space where new names in Ukrainian art are discovered and its international reputation is shaped.
The Naked Room focuses on young and underrepresented artists, supporting their solo exhibitions and helping to integrate Ukrainian art into the global context. Among the artists the gallery collaborates with are Lusia Ivanova, Kateryna Buchatska, Petro Ryaska, Anna Zvyagintseva, Daria Kuzmych, Vitalii Kokhan, and Anton Saienko.
After the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the team focused on projects by artists who remain in Ukraine and on international collaborations.
In addition to its exhibition activity, the gallery has initiated two important projects: “The Artist’s Estate” of Oleh Holosii — a space dedicated to preserving his creative legacy — and the Artists Prize, established together with Montblanc, which artists award to their peers. In 2021, The Naked Room was chosen to represent Ukraine at the 59th Venice Biennale with Pavlo Makov’s project “Fountain of Exhaustion. Acqua Alta.”
Address: 21 Reitarska St.
Ivan Honchar Museum
If you’d like to spend the weekend immersing yourself in Ukrainian traditions, visit the Ivan Honchar Museum on Lavrska Street. This is not just a museum but a true center of folk culture, preserving more than 30,000 exhibits — from early printed books and folk paintings to household items, embroidery, and sculpture.
Founded in 1993 on the basis of the personal collection of the outstanding artist and ethnographer Ivan Honchar, the museum is located in a historic building dating from the 18th–19th centuries, which itself is an architectural monument. The exhibitions tell about traditional Ukrainian life, rituals, beliefs, and the beauty of things created by the hands of craftsmen from different regions of Ukraine.
But most interestingly, the museum is not only about the past. It regularly hosts traditional evening gatherings, folk festivals, workshops in embroidery, weaving, pottery, as well as meetings of folk song and dance clubs. The space is open to children, students, and adults who wish to understand how folk culture influences modern life.
The mission of the center is to foster a society that values and continues Ukrainian traditions. It’s a place where you can not only touch the past but also feel that it still pulses within our present.
Address: 19 Lavrska St.
After visiting galleries and museums, we recommend continuing your cultural weekend at one of the city’s literary events. In our guide, we’ve gathered book fairs and literary gatherings that are regularly held in Kyiv — from the “Book Arsenal” to intimate evenings in local bookstores.
