Archival Workers' Day

On December 24, Ukraine celebrates the Day of Archival Workers, a professional holiday dedicated to those who are responsible for preserving the national archival fund as a collection of documents reflecting the history of the spiritual and material life of the Ukrainian people and other nations, possessing cultural value and being the heritage of the Ukrainian nation.

Exactly 30 years ago on this day, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the Law of Ukraine "On the National Archival Fund and Archival Institutions." The Presidential Decree establishing this professional holiday was signed a quarter of a century ago, in 1998.

The importance of preserving manuscripts was realized by the founder of the university, Vasyl Karazin. He collected and published valuable historical sources, initiated the creation of a specialized journal where archival documents were published.

It is noteworthy that the first public historical archive in Kharkiv appeared in 1880 at the Kharkiv Historical-Philological Society, which operated on the basis of the university.

The School of History and the Instituteof Historiography, Source Studies, and Archaeology at Karazin University are actively involved in preparing personnel for archival institutions. Graduates of the university serve as leaders and employees in archives at central, regional, sectoral, and other levels. Karazin University also has its own archive, preserving valuable sources on the history of one of the oldest universities in Eastern Europe.

Preserving documentary heritage is a matter of national importance, especially in the current conditions of full-scale war. The meticulous and selfless work of archivists allows passing down knowledge of the past from generation to generation, shaping our future.

We congratulate archival workers, teachers, and researchers in the field of archival science on their professional holiday! We wish them robust health, inspiration, and fruitful achievements in their professional endeavors!