Collections

A collection of pocket watches of the 19th and 20th centuries which reflect the history of watches, occupies a small but prominent place in the activities of the Volyn Regional History Museum.

The collection of pocket watches includes 122 units of Western European and Russian watchmaking of the 19th–20th centuries. Most of the watches have artistic or memorial value, some of them are made of silver and gold with engraving and inlay. The museum collection has been formed since the 1970s through gifts, purchases from private individuals, and collection of exhibits by museum employees. A significant part of the collection consists of watches came from the Volyn Customs during 1992–2018.

The collection displays pocket watches made in Switzerland, Germany, England, France, the USA, Russia (by famous companies "Pavel Buret", "Heinrich Moser", "Omega", "Longines", "Doxa", "Zentra", "Zenith", "Hamilton", "Mole" and others). There are many Soviet-made watches. The watches were made in various ways, of various metals and alloys, including silver and gold.

The collection contains personalised pocket watches that entered the museum in different years. After the end of the Military Glory Museum in 1992, the collection received a pocket watch that belonged to a participant of the Second World War, commander of the 121st Guards Heavy Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment V. Y. Gerasymovych.

In 2000, head of the press and information department in Volyn oblast state administration Volodymyr Denysiuk donated a pocket watch originating from mid-20th century, which belonged to Yevhen Shabliovskyi, a native of the town of Kamin-Kashyrskyi, outstanding authority on the works and life of Shevchenko, literary critic, corresponding member of the All-Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, doctor of philology.

A valuable item in the collection is a silver pocket watch made in Germany in the first third of the 20th century. The name is personalised and apparently belonged to a German soldier. It is evidenced by the engraving on the inner cover - "Carl Kőrner Worms".

In May 2017, the museum storages were replenished with another memorial pocket watch, dated mid-20th century, manufactured at Cheliabinsk watch factory "Molniya". The watch was donated by Danylo Shtul, resident of France. He visited Lutsk to open the exhibition "Long Return to Ukraine", dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of his father Oleh Shtul who was one of the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists leaders.

Samples of pocket watches are used in museum displays and exhibitions. At the "Saved for Ukraine" exhibition, pocket watches of Western European and Russian manufacture dating end 19th century in silver and metal cases were among the presented decorative and useful items. The  watches are also on permanent display in the Kolodyiazhne Literary and Memorial Museum of Lesia Ukrainka.

The collection is available at: Collection