Panel OKs expansion of Ukrainian Museum

CLEVELAND (AP) -- An expansion of the Ukrainian Museum-Archives will allow photographs, artwork and military maps used by the Nazis to invade Ukraine during World War II to be put on display.
The Cleveland Landmarks Commission recently approved the museum's plans for a two-story, 2,800-square-foot addition that will eventually connect with the current structure through a gallery hall, museum director Andrew Fedynsky said. Construction will start this year.
In 2001, Congress gave the museum a $200,000 grant for structural improvements. With $20,000 from the Cleveland Foundation and more than $100,000 in pledges from members, the museum is more than halfway to its goal of raising $450,000, Fedynsky said.
The museum was founded in 1952 and moved into its current location 25 years later. However, the growing collection of artifacts outgrew the two-story house, and thousands of items had to be stored in boxes.
More than 47,000 people of Ukrainian ancestry live in Ohio, according to the 2000 census. Of those, nearly 18,000 live in Cuyahoga County, with 3,200 in Cleveland.