Virtual formats: how museums of Ukraine open a new dimension of culture

In 2024–2025, Ukrainian museums are confidently stepping into the digital era. Virtual formats — VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality) — are becoming an important part of museum communication, opening new ways to immerse oneself in the world of culture. Now, to find yourself inside museum halls, all you need is a smartphone, a computer, or VR glasses.

Thanks to the emuseum.online platform, users can take a 3D tour of a museum, feel the atmosphere of exhibition halls, examine artifacts from all sides, or even embark on a virtual tour of Chornobyl. Such technological solutions make culture more accessible to everyone — regardless of place of residence or physical ability.

Who chooses virtual museums

The target audience of digital projects continues to grow:

• Young people and students perceive culture through interactivity and play.

• Teachers and researchers use 3D models of artifacts in education and science.

• Tourists explore museums before traveling — or visit them online.

• People with disabilities gain the opportunity to learn about history without barriers.

And finally, the general public discovers a new format — a virtual museum of Kyiv or any other city in Ukraine directly from their screen.

Ukrainian museums in VR: examples of new formats

One of the most impressive projects is the National Art Museum of Ukraine (NAMU) — the first cultural institution fully recreated in virtual reality. Together with the MCSC, the eMuseum team, and the technical partner Imersum, the project succeeded in reproducing every hall of the museum in 3D, preserving its architecture and atmosphere.

On the emuseum.online platform, two NAMU exhibitions are already available: “Ukrainian Portrait of the 17th–20th Centuries” and “NAMU Masterpieces.” This is not just a virtual museum of Kyiv, but an entirely new way of interacting with art, where Ukrainian history and culture transcend the boundaries of time and space.

Another example is the projects of the National Museum of Decorative Art of Ukraine: the VR project “Prymachenko. The Unknown” (2024) and the virtual quest “The World of Kateryna Bilokur” (2025). They allow viewers to explore the creativity of these outstanding artists through interactivity and play, bringing Ukrainian art closer to younger audiences.

Equally interesting is an augmented reality project — a 3D reconstruction of the Church of the Tithes, which allows you to see the ancient shrine on your smartphone right next to its remains. The virtual model can also be viewed at home — in the “Church of the Tithes” section on emuseum.online.

How to view a museum in VR

To take a virtual museum tour, you don’t need special equipment — just visit emuseum.online and choose a project. For full immersion, you can use VR glasses, and for convenient viewing — a regular browser on a computer or smartphone.

Virtual museums are no longer just an alternative to physical ones — they are a new dimension of cultural interaction. Thanks to digital technologies, anyone can see unique exhibitions, take a 3D tour of a museum, visit a virtual museum of Kyiv, or go on a virtual tour of Chornobyl, discovering Ukraine in a format of the future.