The establishment of the Center for the Study of Heritage of the Ostroh Academy took place in inseparable connection with the process of revival of the Ostroh Academy. A new stage of its history began on April 12, 1994, after the Decree of President Leonid Kravchuk “On the establishment of the Ostroh Collegium”. The Center for the Study of Heritage of the Ostroh Academy was created to popularize the history of the Ostroh cultural and educational centre. Petro Andrukhov led the Center. However, the historian’s sudden death in August 1996 prevented him from engaging an active work.
In the same year, Yaroslava Bondarchuk became the director of the Center and the creator of the Museum of the History of the Ostroh Academy. A woman of extraordinary knowledge, with extensive experience in museum work. The museum was established at the Academy as part of the Center for the Study of Heritage of the Ostroh Academy thanks to her hard work. The first exhibition hall was dedicated to the history of the Ostroh Academy of the 16th century. Gradually, the exhibition was filled with exhibits dedicated to the revived university.
Every year the exposition premises of the Museum expanded, the number of exhibits increased. The phenomenon of revival and rapid progress of the Ostroh Academy interested the public. High-ranking guests began to come to the Academy more and more often. Visitors to the museums of Ostroh came to the Ostroh Academy Museum with great interest as well. The museum immediately after its creation began to conduct sightseeing activities, continuing both research and fund work. The creation of the museum was preceded by the hard work of the staff of the Center for Heritage Studies of the Ostroh Academy. In 2007, the Rector’s Office decided to separate the Museum from the Center into a separate department of the University. It contributed to the museum`s development and expansion. During her tenure as the director of the Museum of Svitlana Darchyk (Muravska), the Ostroh Academy Museum acquired its modern look, fund work was organized, and the expositions were updated.
The Modern Museum of History of the Ostroh Academy is officially registered as a Museum at the Higher Educational Institution. It is part of the network of Ukrainian museums of this type.
In 2011, the Museum of National University of Ostroh Academy according to the act of the Ministry of Education and Science received an award Exemplary Museum.
This appreciation is a result of hard work of all generation of museum workers, who worked from the very beginning of restored Ostroh Academy. An enormous role in this plays the Ostroh Academy administration, which is very interested in the development, preservation and expansion of museum collections.
