Tamada Travels: Ukraine’s Toilet History Museum

At first, it might appear a political statement:

“Pecunia non olet (“Money does not smell”),” staff tells you at a museum dedicated to the history of toilets in Kyiv, Ukraine.

But the motto, which Roman Emperor Vespasian supposedly said after imposing a tax on public urinals, is only another part of the toilet trivia and bathroom paraphernalia on display at this unusual exhibit.

Launched by a Ukrainian couple with a passion for the topic, the Toilet History Museum is tucked inside the 19th-century Kyiv Fortress, a set of fortifications better known for past executions than for details about past potty practices.

But whether it’s the Egyptian liking for limestone toilet seats or the Roman liking for socializing while sitting on the can, toilets can have a lot to tell.

In this report, Museum Director Nelya Voronava takes Tamada Travels down toilet-memory lane.