The O.K. Antonov State Aviation Museum of Ukraine is celebrating its 23rd anniversary

23 years ago, on September 30, 2003, the O.K. Antonov State Aviation Museum opened its doors.

That day, the museum’s grand opening took place with the participation of Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma, guests of honor, and media representatives. Since then, the history of this place—which has become one of the main centers for preserving Ukraine’s aviation heritage—has unfolded.

The museum started with 33 aircraft. Today, its collection includes over 100 examples of aviation equipment—ranging from passenger and transport aircraft to fighter jets, helicopters, aircraft engines, and other equipment.

Over the past 23 years, more than a million people have visited the museum. Behind this number lie thousands of hours of work: searching for and rescuing exhibits, restoration, building the museum’s collection, research, new exhibitions, and partnerships.

Recent years have brought new challenges to this work, but at the same time have become a time for exploring new opportunities.

We are actively digitizing the museum’s collections—from archival documents, flight logs, and old periodicals to other materials that help preserve aviation history not only on paper but also in digital format.

We share our experience with European colleagues and adopt their best practices; we participate in international conferences and professional meetings, representing the museum and Ukraine’s aviation heritage beyond Ukraine’s borders.

We are creating new exhibition projects. One of them is “Kyiv on Wings: Ukraine’s Aviation Heritage,” which brings together the history of aviation in Kyiv, the lives of prominent aircraft designers, and preserved museum artifacts from the collections of several Ukrainian museums.

Our collection is also growing—new exhibits are arriving that require research, restoration, and proper preservation. For example, we recently acquired an An-2 with an interesting history of service as a sightseeing aircraft over the Grand Canyon.

And during this time, the museum also welcomed Lopata—our hangar cat, who has long been a part of museum life and a favorite of many visitors.

Even under challenging conditions, we’re learning to be flexible and explore new approaches. If visitors can’t always come to the museum, the museum can go to them. That’s exactly how our on-site aviation lessons in schools came about, allowing us to continue talking to children about aviation, history, and museum work.

The pandemic, a full-scale war, and the forced closure of our main exhibition—each of these periods has been a challenge. But at the same time, they have shown just how important it is for a museum not to come to a standstill, but to find ways to continue its work.

Twenty-three years is a significant part of our history. And yet, it is just another stage in our journey.

We are eagerly awaiting the day when we can reopen the doors of our main location and welcome our visitors—those who have been coming to us for years, and those who are just beginning to discover the world of Ukrainian aviation.

We would like to thank everyone who has stood by us all these years: visitors, friends, partners, colleagues, volunteers, and everyone who supports the museum and its work.

A new chapter in our history lies ahead—one filled with new challenges, new projects, and new opportunities.

Happy 23rd anniversary, our beloved O.K. Antonov State Aviation Museum!