Social and humanitarian department is responsible for social work with students, co-work with the university’s student council, work with students in dormitories, provision of costumier services and sound recording equipment for different events, supervision of the museum complex. The head of the department is Vitalina Ivanivna Skorohod.
The museum complex consists of three sections.
The Mykola Gogol Museum. The museum has the portraits of Gogol’s parents, the portrait of the 12 year old writer, painted by D. Varakuta. Some other exhibits include: photocopies of the teachers’ portraits, copies of educational programmes, pages from the books and notes of XIX century students. The exhibition also has XIX century furniture, such as a desk with two chairs, a dressing table and a closet, all inspired by the famous furniture master Andre-Charles Boulle.
The Museum of History of Nizhyn University. The museum has three exhibition halls, each devoted to a separate period of the university’s history. The first hall covers the period from 1805 (the year when the establishment was founded) to the early XX century. Some of the exhibits include: the decree of Alexander I of Russia that allowed the construction of this educational establishment; bas-reliefs of the founders of the university, the Bezborodko brothers; physical instruments of the XIX century, etc. The second hall covers the work of the university during the period of the Soviet rule and the first years of independence (1920-1995). The modern days of the university are reflected in the constantly updated exhibits of the third hall. There you can learn about the university’s faculties, departments, sections and more.
Picture Gallery. The picture gallery of NSU has one of the most valuable collections of paintings in Ukraine. The gallery has three exhibition halls. The first exhibition hall is devoted to the work of the national artist of the USSR, Sergii Shyshko. There are 36 paintings by Shyshko in the gallery, which is the biggest collection of paintings of this author. The next two halls contain the paintings that were presented to the university in 1845 on the occasion of its 25th anniversary. Here you can witness both author’s copies and original works of western European painters of XVII century and Russian painters of XIX century, who include: Rubens, Van Dijk, Rafael Santi, Michelangelo Buonarotti, Guido Reni, Guercino, Caravaggio, Karl Bryullov, A. Mokrytskii and others.
The museum complex of Nizhyn State University is a true highlight not only of the university but of the whole city as well, being a true artistic and cultural centre, which you shouldn’t avoid while travelling across Ukraine.
The museum complex is available for visiting on weekdays. For additional information please contact us at the following address: room 213 (building №2) or room 201 (building №1), 2 Grafska St., Nizhyn, Chernihiv region; e-mail: muzeumndu@gmail.com, Tel: +380463171981. Contact name: Anna Serhiivna Parubets, head specialist of the museum complex.
The department also supervises the university’s drama group, dancing group “BURLESQUE”, folk ensemble “Kalynonka”, cultural and educational centre “Yunist”.
Today, the drama group functions as a part of the Philology Department, though it is available to students of all departments, under the guidance of H.A. Savchenko, who has been in charge of the group for many years. The group’s repertoire consists of several theatrical pieces and an original stage performance “The Road”, which was compiled of M. Gogol’s works by the head of the drama group, H.A. Savchenko. The play was directed involving the People’s Artist of Ukraine, O. Bysh.
Dancing group “BURLESQUE” was created in 2011. Since then the group has presented 3 musical performances and won the first prizes of some of the Ukrainian, European and international music festivals.
The folk ensemble regularly takes part in university’s concerts devoted to many special occasions.
The ensemble’s repertoire consists of more than fifty scores of their own arrangements of Ukrainian, Russian and Polish folk songs.
Cultural and educational centre “Yunist” is used for many events, such as: meetings of students’ clubs, theme parties, chess tournaments, literary evenings, mindset trainings and more.