Before 2022, there were 23 municipal museums and two national reserves in the Zaporizhzhia region, in Southeastern Ukraine. Each of them held unique exhibits, natural monuments, material and spiritual cultural relics – all of them shaping Ukraine’s history and identity. Passengers on the Melitopol-Zaporizhzhia train, which ran regularly before the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion [on 24 February 2022], could see one of these places from the train window – the Vasylivka museum-reserve Popov Manor House, which towered a hill near the railway tracks.
The compound is a landmark of regional history and architecture of southern 19th century Ukraine. It is inspired by a medieval eclectic-style castle, blending elements of Baroque, Romanesque, and Gothic styles. The western wing is designed in the Neo-Gothic style, while the northern and eastern wings are symmetrical, built in the pseudo-Moorish style with neo-Gothic details. The observation tower, made of yellow and red brick, creates an intricate ornament on the walls, which is unique in Ukraine. The centre of the compound is a two-storey castle with five towers, designed by Melitopol architect Oleksandr Ageyenko. The interior decor was created by Italian sculptor Angelo Langobardi.
On 7 March 2022, Anna Golovko, then director of the Vasylivka Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve, and Vladyslav Moroko, former director of the Department of Culture and Information Policy of the Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration, reported on Facebook about the shelling of the museum’s grounds. “Russian barbarians are destroying cultural treasures!!! Popov Manor House today!!!” Moroko wrote.
According to information provided by the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy, artillery shelling damaged the walls of Popov Castle, a palace compound and a monument of local history and architecture. The southern tower of the riding arena and stables building was destroyed, as well as part of the western wall of the carriage building – part of the Vasylivka Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve Popov Manor House.
What we know about the investigation
UNESCO has included Popov Manor House in its list of damaged cultural heritage sites in Ukraine. The Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration also added the eastern wing of the Popov Castle compound to the list of damaged historical and architectural monuments, noting that the damage was partial.
The Prosecutor General’s Office reported that the Zaporizhzhia Regional Prosecutor’s Office is supervising the proceedings in a joint criminal case dated 1 March 2022. It relates to the Museum-Reserve Popov Manor House as well as the theft of museum exhibits listed in the Museum Fund of Ukraine, committed by unidentified servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces and other military formations of the aggressor state. As it is at the pre-trial investigation stage, “detailed information is currently not subject to disclosure,” the Investigation Department of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) press service said in response to our request.
The Department of Culture, Tourism, Nationalities and Religions stated that they had not reported the theft of museum exhibits from the Popov Manor House to law enforcement agencies, as the museum’s administration and staff had left for Ukrainian-controlled territory, and it was currently impossible to verify the information about the alleged theft. At the same time, it emphasised that all existing materials are being transferred to the Main Investigation Department of the SBU, responsible for pre-trial investigations, as well as to the Zaporizhzhia Regional Prosecutor’s Office, which supervises criminal proceedings related to the destruction or damage of cultural heritage sites in the temporarily occupied territories.
The value inside the manor
The Popov Manor House had over 6,500 exhibits, which were listed in the collection inventory. In accordance with the Regulations on the Museum Fund of Ukraine, inventory documents must be issued exclusively in handwritten form. Copies of inventory books may be stored in electronic form only if they are identical to the handwritten version. In accordance with an Order of the Ministry of Culture in November 2014, in 2015 digitised copies of the main collection’s record books, inventory books and special inventory books of municipal museums in the Zaporizhzhia region were made. Electronic data is stored in a location designated by the Ministry, while inventory and accounting documentation is stored exclusively in the museum. Thus, all museum exhibits, property of the Historical and Architectural Museum prior to the full-scale invasion, and their exact inventory are currently located in the temporarily occupied territory.
Valery Stoychev, acting director of the Vasylivka Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve Popov Manor House, emphasises that every exhibit on record is valuable. “If they had no historical value, they simply would not have been included in the register,” he points out. “But if you ask me to mention something special, [it could be] for example, items made of precious metals, medals, documents. For me, as a researcher, not just as a director, documents related to the Popov family were extremely important. For example, the authentic foreign passport of Vasyl Pavlovych Popov [who had the castle built between 1864 and 1884], which we found back in the day and acquired with the help of benefactors, added to the collection of the museum-reserve.”
Equally important are the letters of the Sergiyev family, who worked at the Popov manor and later lived in Vasylivka. Their documents were donated to the collection by the family. There are original photographs of the castle compound taken by a local photographer and drawing teacher who lived and worked here. “These documents and photographs were collected from all over Vasylivka and were given to us by former employees and descendants of families affiliated with the property. This is an important part of our archival heritage,” Stoychev says.
He also said that since 2014, materials for two visual history rooms had been collected, and antique postcards had been purchased from private collectors. “The manor is not only an architectural landmark, but also part of cultural memory – it is where the history of the local community was shaped, and where material evidence of the lives and activities of several generations of manor owners and workers has been preserved,” the historian added.
The failed evacuation
In accordance with a resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of 30 October 2013, an evacuation of cultural property and museum staff, including the Popov Manor House, is carried out in the event of an imminent emergency. The museum had a list of priority objects for evacuation and also held training sessions. According to the acting director of the Popov Manor House, in 2021, training and other activities were held twice on packing and determining the priority exhibits for evacuation. In August of the same year, the institution received a GAZel truck, as well as a service car, a trailer, and about 700 litres of fuel. All employees underwent relevant training.
“Unfortunately, the sudden occupation of Vasylivka made evacuation impossible. Russian troops took control of the town after heavy shelling on 1 March 2022, and the town was temporarily occupied,” the Department of Culture, Tourism, Nationalities and Religions reported.
However, Stoychev partially disagrees with this statement: “As for the evacuation, I know that many municipal institutions were still transporting computers and accounting documents even after 12 March, when the first road checkpoints were put in place.”
Long-term hopes
Since the Museum-Reserve is located in a temporarily occupied territory, it is currently impossible to determine the exact extent of damage caused by shelling or to find out whether any exhibits from the compound were stolen by the Russians. “The list of stolen museum valuables and the extent of the damage can only be determined after the de-occupation of the territory and a full verification of the collections against the inventory records,” the department states.
Russian media [such as TASS and ZOV Zaporizhzhia] occasionally publish news about the arrival of “famous” Russian actors at Popov Manor or about plans to “save” Popov Castle, accompanied by photos and videos taken on the grounds of the compound. Judging by the video, the museum is in satisfactory condition, but the condition of the museum’s valuables could not be determined.
When asked whether he believes it will be possible to obtain compensation for the shelling and theft of museum exhibits (if confirmed by a court) from the Popov Museum, Stoychev replies that “one example of restoration and compensation is when it happened after the Second World War – 80 years ago. You may not know this, but Germany is still paying compensation to private collectors and their descendants for damaged property. In fact, there were some interesting cases this year: museum collections officially considered lost were accidentally discovered during the sale of a former Nazi official’s house. The paintings found in that house were officially catalogued as destroyed by British air strikes during the war in 1945. Officially, they were destroyed, but because the catalogues still existed in Europe, these exhibits remained on the list of missing items. Until they are found or proven to be lost, they remain ‘missing’ – forever, so to speak. So, 80 years have passed, and it turns out that the descendants of Nazi criminals were using this property, hiding it, and now it is being returned to its rightful owners.”
This report was produced thanks to a grant by Fondation Hirondelle/Justice Info. A full version of this article was published on November 15, 2025, in "Inform.zp.ua".
