On February 21, 2024, during the roundtable “War Testimonies: From Oral History to National Documentary Heritage,” the Head of the State Archival Service of Ukraine, Anatolii Khromov, and the Co-chair of the Ukrainian Oral History Association, Natalia Khanenko-Friesen, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation.
The goal of this collaboration is to bring together archivists, oral historians, media representatives, and the public to ensure the professional preservation of oral history testimonies of the war in Ukraine. This need has arisen due to the growing number of oral history projects dedicated to documenting experiences of the Russo-Ukrainian war. These testimonies will serve as a valuable source base for future researchers. Therefore, the partnership between the Association and the State Archival Service of Ukraine is a significant step toward the formation and preservation of the national archival heritage.
Future steps will include developing a nationwide strategy, establishing methodological guidelines for archiving oral history sources, incorporating them into the National Archival Fund of Ukraine, and organizing methodological seminars and other events.
We extend our gratitude to the State Archival Service of Ukraine and Anatolii Khromov for their commitment to the development of a joint strategy and their collaboration in this important effort.
