President Victor Yushchenko took part today in civil action of bringing order to Mystetsky Arsenal territory. On the whole there were around 600 people participating in the action, including Education Minister Ivan Vakarchuk, Defense Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov, Health Minister Vasyl Knyazevych, State Affairs Department head Ihor Tarasyuk, Kyiv institutes students, cadets, etc.
Kiev Arsenal factory is one of the oldest and most famous industrial factories of Kyiv. In 2004 it was suggested to establish a modern art gallery in the oldest 19th century building of Arsenal. Later, President Viktor Yushchenko expressed his support to the museum idea but suggested that the museum had to be state-run and dominated by more traditional art pieces in order to become a "Ukrainian Hermitage". The process of converting the building to a civil use is underway. Most of construction works are to be finished by the end of 2008 and the museum is to openin its doors by Independence Day of 2009.
