The National Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine in Pirogov is under threat of raider seizure, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy (MCIP) says. According to the Ministry, the attempt to seize the museum's non-residential buildings and land plot occurred in the fall of 2020, when a group of unidentified individuals tried to register property under false names. This property, with a total area of over 17,800 sq. m, has been used by the museum since the 1970s.
In response to these actions, the museum appealed to the Anti-Raiding Office of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, which canceled the illegal registration in July 2022. A criminal case was initiated under the procedural guidance of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine.
However, the fraudsters tried to legalize the seizure through the court. The Kyiv City Commercial Court rejected the claim on February 26, 2024, confirming the cancellation of the registration by order of the Anti-Raider Office.
On August 7, 2024, the Northern Commercial Court of Appeal adopted a decision that overturned the resolution of the Commercial Court of Kyiv and satisfied the raiders' claim, canceling the order of the Ministry of Justice.
“With this decision, the Northern Commercial Court of Appeal actually legalized the raider seizure of part of the museum’s territory and premises,” the Ministry of Culture stated.
The Ministry of Culture emphasized that the museum, with the support of the MKIP, will fight for the restoration of justice and plans to appeal to the Supreme Court of Ukraine to appeal the decision of the court of appeal.
