The State Archival Service of Ukraine is a central body of executive power that implements the state policy in the field of archival affairs and record keeping, creation and functioning of the state system of documentation  insurance fund. The activities of the State Archival Service of Ukraine are directed and coordinated by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine through the Minister of Justice.

Regulations on the State Archival Service of Ukraine approved by the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of 21 October, 2015 № 870. By order of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of 27 November, 2019 № 1140 – Anatolii Khromov has been appointed Head of the State Archival Service of Ukraine.

In 2017, the Ukrainian nomination “Documentary heritage deal with the consequences of Chernobyl disaster” was included in the UNESCO International Register of Programs “Memory of the World”.

The State Archival Service of Ukraine conducts international activity, participates in international professional forums, has bilateral international agreements with archival services and national archives of Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Belarus, Bulgaria, Armenia, Greece, Georgia, Estonia, Israel, Iran, Kazakhstan, Cyprus, Kyrgyzstan, China, Cuba, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, USA, Turkey, Hungary, Uzbekistan, Finland, Czech Republic, Montenegro.

In 2020, cooperation with American partners was resumed and a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the State Archival Service of Ukraine and the FamilySearch International Corporation (USA).

The State Archival Service of Ukraine is the founder of the scientific and practical journal “Archives of Ukraine”, which has been published since 1947.

The first sprouts of the future State Archival Service of Ukraine began to appear in 1917–1920. In September 1917, the Library and Archival Department was organized within the Department of Arts of the General Secretariat of Education of the Ukrainian Central Rada (since 9 January, 1918, the People’s Ministry of Education of the Ukrainian People’s Republic).

90 years later, in 2007, the date of creation of the system of state archival institutions of Ukraine was marked for the first time at the national level, and in 2017 – its 100th anniversary.

With the proclamation of Ukraine’s independence, the General Archival Administration under the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine was established. Soon, in 1993, the first profile Law of Ukraine “On the National Archival Fund and Archival Institutions” was adopted, in the preparation of which the notes of the heads of archival bodies of the period of the Ukrainian Revolution of 1917–1921 were used.

In 1994, an important centre for the study of current problems of archival science – the Ukrainian Research Institute of Archival Affairs and Documentation, and in 2007 two more archival institutions – Central State Archives of Foreign Archival Ucrainica and Central State Electronic Archives of Ukraine.

Today the archival network of Ukraine has 2284 institutions. Of these, 9 central state archives,     4 research and other central state archival institutions, 24 state archives of regions and the state archive in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, 2 state archives of Kyiv and Sevastopol, 2 city archives, 468 archival divisions (sectors) of district administrations, 134 archival divisions (sectors) of city councils, 12 branch archives and 1628 labor archives created at city, district, village and settlement councils.

The State Archival Service of Ukraine is progressively moving along changes, modernizing and transforming, adopting foreign experience and following the latest trends in the development of archival affairs. Deepening international cooperation, ensuring proper public awareness, online availability of archival documents – the key to the stable functioning of the entire archival system.

Mission

The main goal of the State Archival Service of Ukraine is to implement the principles of state policy in the relevant field, which will contribute to the democratic development of Ukraine, meeting the information requirements of society and the state by providing:

• realization of constitutional rights, fundamental freedoms and legal interests of each person;
• world achievements in the development of archival affairs;
• equal access to information resources of society, in particular, archival information resources;
• quality and comprehensive archival (information) services;
• effective prevention of corruption;
• opportunities for participation of representatives of civil society, scientific and creative community in making important decisions.

In their activities, the State Archival Service of Ukraine is based on the following values:

• support for the protection of the citizens’ rights and interests;
• patriotism and devotion;
• transparency and openness;
• competence and self-improvement.

Priorities of State Archival Service of Ukraine activities are:

• digitization of all processes of archival work and record keeping;
• organization of formation of documents of the National Archival Fund;
• ensuring the preservation of the National Archival Fund as a component of the world cultural heritage;
• popularization of archival documents to memorable dates and anniversaries of famous people in the history of Ukraine;
• ensuring the implementation of state policy in the field of creation and effective functioning of the state system of documentation insurance fund.