The Museum of the American Revolution has launched a Ukrainian-language audio tour for its exhibition “The Declaration's Journey,” making it the first museum in Philadelphia to offer an exhibition audio guide in that language. The addition joins six other language options already available for the show, which features more than 120 artifacts including Ukraine's own 1991 Declaration of Independence.
The museum launched the Ukrainian-language tour as part of a broader effort to make history more accessible, according to 6abc. Tyler Putman, the museum's manager of gallery interpretation, said people around the world should have access to the story of the American Revolution and its impact, per that report. The Embassy of Ukraine in the United States and the Honorary Consulate of Ukraine in Philadelphia formally unveiled the new guide on October 22, according to the Cultural Freedom Project.
A Message Tied To Ukraine's Fight For Democracy
Iryna Mazur, honorary consul of Ukraine in Philadelphia, compared the circumstances facing the newly born American nation 250 years ago with those confronting Ukrainians today, per 6abc's reporting. She said the museum's inclusion of Ukraine carries a broader message about democracy, adding that Ukraine is a country that is also a place of democracy. Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and Ukraine continues to defend itself in the war that followed, the station reported.
The new audio option is part of an initiative tied to Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska, who initiated an effort to bring Ukrainian-language tours to cultural landmarks around the world. She launched that project in 2019, and more than 135 museums in 59 countries now participate, according to WHYY. The Museum of the American Revolution has become the fifth institution in the United States to introduce a Ukrainian-language audio guide, according to Voice of America, which also listed the Palace of Versailles, the Colosseum, the Tower of London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City among sites already offering the service.
Not Every Exhibit At The Museum Gets The Ukrainian Treatment
The new guide is specific to “The Declaration's Journey” and is not available for the museum's core exhibition, which offers English, Spanish and French options, the same WHYY report noted. The museum's own listing for the exhibit confirms the Ukrainian track is new as of October 2026, joining English, Spanish, French, Italian, Mandarin Chinese and Brazilian Portuguese as the seven total language choices, according to the Museum of the American Revolution. The audio tour costs $5 per unit, or $3 for museum members.
A Record-Setting Run Nearing Its Close
“The Declaration's Journey” explores the history and global impact of the Declaration of Independence from 1776 to today, per the museum's own description. The show has drawn more than 132,000 visitors since it opened a year ago, making it the most visited temporary exhibition in the museum's 10-year history, the WHYY article reported, and more than 5,400 audio tours were requested for the exhibition in 2026.
The exhibition is scheduled to close on January 3, 2027. After that, the same report states it will live on as an immersive virtual exhibition with audio available in all seven languages, including Ukrainian, giving the new guide a life beyond the gallery walls once the physical show wraps up.
