Controversy over potential relocation of Mikhail Bulgakov museum in Kyiv sparks outcry

Recently, Rostyslav Karandeev, the acting Minister of Culture and Information Policy, stated that the Mikhail Bulgakov Museum in Kyiv might be removed from the State Register of Immovable Cultural Heritage of National Importance and transferred to the registry of objects of local significance.

Anatoliy Konchakovskiy, the museum’s founder, condemned these plans.

“I am against such a decision. We should not surrender our national heritage, represented by Mikhail Bulgakov, to the enemy. If we diminish the museum’s status, it won’t improve anything. We already give a lot away to the enemy…even Tchaikovsky, who drew all his strength precisely from Ukraine and never wrote anything negative about it. It’s just absurd. Bulgakov also adored Ukraine and Ukrainians. We need to simply read his works, rather than rely solely on the statements of his characters. I think such a decision would be wrong and unreasonable. Bulgakov is ours and surrendering him to the enemy is a crime,” Konchakovskiy stated.

According to him, no one from the Ministry of Culture has contacted him on this matter. “Who will contact me and consider my opinion? No one asked me anything. I believe the museum staff were not asked either. They (Ministry of Culture) make decisions on their own. But instead of fighting with the dead, it would be better to take up a rifle and go fight on the battlefield. First we need to win, and then think about which monuments to remove and which ones to leave. Now, it’s untimely,” Konchakovskiy said.