Viktor Karpov
Chief of Museum, colonel
Viktor Karpov was born in 1960 in Volodymyr-Volynskyi. His officer service began in the Far East in the position of the chief of the military unit club, and afterwards - the chief of the Museum of the Far-Eastern defence command. After the graduation from the Humanitarian Academy of the Armed Forces (Moscow) in 1994 he did his military service at the Central administration of educative work of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.
From October, 1995 he was appointed for the position of the Chief of the Museum of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and afterwards - the Central Museum of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Viktor Karpov is a Candidate of historical sciences, the author of the range of the research articles and monographs on the history of the Ukrainian army and internment of the Japanese army. In particular, in 1999 there was published his monograph "Military symbolism of Ukraine. Sleeve insignia (1992-1999)", in 1997 - the monograph "Captives of Stalin. Siberian internment of the Japanese army. 1945-1956", translated into the Japanese language and published in Japan in 2001. In 2004 there was published in the joint authorship the book "Ukrainian military symbolism", the second edition of which was ordered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine for diplomatic representative offices abroad in 2006. Since the foundation of the "Military and Historic Almanac" in 2000 he has been its editor-in-chief. Board member of the public organization "Ukrainian Institute of Military History".
During the long-term military service he was awarded the distinctions of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, such as "Sign of Honour", "Veteran of military service", "10th anniversary of the Armed Forces of Ukraine", "15th anniversary of the Armed Forces of Ukraine", etc.
The Central Museum of the Armed Forces of Ukraine exists since October, 1995 and is the main one in the system of the military and museum business of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It comprises three branches: the Strategic Rocket Forces Museum (Pervomaisk), the Naval Museum Complex "Balaklava" (Sevastopol) and the Volyn Regional Museum of the Ukrainian army and Military Technology (Lutsk). The funds of the Museum were formed from the former Museum of the Red Banner Kyiv Defence Command.
On June 14, 1998 the museum for the first time opened its doors for the visitors. The ribbon of exposition opening was cut by the first Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine general-colonel Ivan Bizhan and Olena Ott-Skoropadska, the daughter of the hetman of the Ukrainian State in 1918 Pavlo Skoropadskyi. The permanent exposition highlights the general development of military standards on the territory of Ukraine during the whole way of its historical development. The display gradually highlights the Stone age period, the military history of the Cimmerian, Scythian and Sarmatian period, the princely epoch of the Kyiv Rus, the national liberation struggle of the Cossacks period, the battle activity of the Ukrainian army during the First World War and the time of Liberation movements of 1917-1920, the victory and courage of the Ukrainian people during the years of the Second World Wwar, the post-war construction process and the battle activity of the soviet Military Forces on the territory of Ukraine, creation of the armed forces of the independent Ukraine.
The museum actively cooperates with the museum of the Army of Poland, Ukrainian Diaspora in the USA and Canada, the Royal museum of army and military history of the Kingdom of Belgium, etc.

30/1 Hrushevskoho Street, 01021 Kyiv
tel.: +38 (044) 284-87-23; 284-64-76
fax: +38 (044)284-64-76
e-mail: Cmzs1@voliacable.com; milmuz@carrier.kyiv.ua
http://www.milmuz.com.ua
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