The world’s largest collection of works from the United States transferred to the Holodomor Museum
The director of the institution, Lesia Hasydzhak, said this on Radio Culture, UP Life reports.
“Each exhibit in our museum is the result of searches, conversations, and recordings of testimonies. These are not typological objects, and behind each of them is not a story, but a tragedy. The Holodomor needs to be comprehended and then reflected on in one or another form of art. Therefore, this transfer is important for us as an institution,” explained the director.
The full collection is to be transferred to the museum in mid-November. By that time, a transfer deed will be drawn up, while a donation agreement has already been signed.
The Morgan Williams collection includes 600 items. Among them are 360 paintings, engravings, paintings and linocuts, including one of Viktor Zaretskyi's last works, Hammer, a collection of 91 linocuts by amateur local historian and artist Mykola Bondarenko, and 118 works by graphic artist Volodymyr Kutkin.
The collection also includes badges, envelopes, and stamps related to the Holodomor. Auxiliary items include books, booklets, and information leaflets from international and Ukrainian exhibitions about the Holodomor from the Williams archives.
The American businessman and philanthropist began assembling his art collection on the Ukrainian Holodomor in 1997 while working in Ukraine as a representative of the US government. Williams specialized in the agricultural sector and was not of Ukrainian descent.
“In the entire history of Ukraine, no one except Morgan Williams began collecting art that is a reflection on the knowledge of the history of the genocide of Ukrainians,” explained Lesia Hasydzhak.
“He came up with the idea to contact artists and painters and buy their works. That's how he met Nina Marchenko, Vira Kuleba-Barynova, and Ivan Novobranets. He also worked with Holodomor researcher James Mace. By 2000, the lion's share of the collection had already been formed. Subsequently, Williams gave his collection the title “Paintings That Never Were”.
On June 10, 2024, Morgan Williams passed away at his home in California. He was 84.
“We will always remember Mr. Morgan Williams with respect and gratitude, as well as the efforts he made to make the world more aware of the tragedy of Ukrainians in 1932-1933. We shall remember him as a true friend of Ukraine, whose sincere heart always responded to the pain of others,” the representatives of the museum wrote at the time.
