The idea of creating a permanent exhibition in Ukraine «His Beatitude Patriarch Joseph in philatelic and commemorative editions of the Local Ukrainian Catholic Church» was born in 1991. Actually then Vladyka Julian Voronovsky, being in Rome, visited this exhibition at the Ukrainian Catholic University and got acquainted with its author, Dr. Roman Smyk. In a friendly conversation, the bishop approved the conception, noting its importance for Ukraine and, in particular, for Galicia. Cyrus Julian, formerly Rector of the Lviv Theological Seminary of the Holy Spirit and later Bishop of the Sambir-Drohobych UGCC, was well aware of the importance of such a museum for his faithful. Dr. Roman Smyk, with his vast life experience and colossal experience in socio-political and social-cultural work, knew that such a eparchial museum would play the role of a kind of temple of spiritual enlightenment. But the most important for both of its founders was that it would operate in Truskavets, and its visitors would be not only Ukrainians from all parts of the state, but also guests from abroad. It was important to tell about the Great Ukrainian, who, after suffering 18 years of imprisonment in Stalin’s prisons and camps, became a cardinal and later Patriarch of the Ukrainian Local Catholic Church, about how he faithfully and truly served his people and the Church.
Developing the concept of the museum design, the authors of the project, museum director Ivan Skybak and artist Mykola Kostiv took as a basis the idea of recreating the atmosphere of the museum-home, museum-church. Every human life is a road to the shrine, because man was created in the image and likeness of God. That is why the museum became one of the temples, which was created not only as a «sanctuary of Muses», but also as a dwelling. Here everyone has the opportunity not only to learn about the history of the Samborsko-Drohobych diocese, about the life and work of outstanding thinkers of our Church, such as Archbishop Josaphat Kuntsevich, Metropolitan Andriy Sheptytsky, Patriarch Joseph the Blind, or to see one of the exhibitions of sacred art, but also to pray. The presence of relics of the Holy Martyr Josaphat, antimins consecrated and signed by Andriy Sheptytsky and Joseph the Blind, their personal belongings create in the rooms of the museum the atmosphere of a mothballed place. Therefore, after the excursions, visitors often stay here for some time to lay down their prayers to God. The museum is called to fulfill a religious-educational and artistic-cultural mission.
The first exhibition took place outside its walls. The staff of the Michael Bilas Museum agreed to accept the exposition a year before its official opening. It happened in September 1997. And on the eve of the opening on October 10, 1998 in Truskavets came invited to the festive academy, theologians, clergy, scientists. With a word of greeting Vladyka Lubomir Guzar, then Bishop-Assistant Head of the UGCC, blessed the beginning of the festive academy. After the greeting, the scholarly session continued with the themes: «The Way of the Cross of Joseph the Blind» and «Outstanding Personalities of the UGCC. On the Way of Being of the Ukrainian Nation». And the next day after the Archdiocesan festive Liturgy, which was served in the Church of St. Nicholas, the clergy and guests came to the Office of the Samborsko-Drohobych Diocese. Here, with the participation of a large number of residents and guests of Truskavets, the grand opening and consecration of the Diocesan Museum took place. The liturgy was celebrated by Vladyka Julian Voronovsky, Bishop of Samborsko-Drogobych, Vladyka Michal Koltun, Bishop of Zboriv, and Vladyka Ivan Margitich, Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Mukachevo. They were served by a large group of priests. In the newly opened and consecrated museum, the first tour was conducted by Dr. Roman Smyk, Vladyka Julian Voronovsky and the first director of the museum, Ivan Skybak. For ten years the management of this well-known institution far beyond the city-resort has been changing. But the leading line in its activity — to pave the way to salvation in eternity through truthful information of people — was and remains unchanged.
At present Taras Shafran is the director of the museum. Every year the museum is visited by more than 5000 excursionists who came on vacation to Truskavets. Exhibitions on various topics, mostly spiritual, are often organized for visitors.