WIREDGOV

We have all seen the horrific events unfolding in Ukraine. Many of us are looking for different ways to help; as an institution, we are looking at practical ways to help our colleagues in Ukraine preserve their national archival collections that are in peril.

We’re really proud to be a part of the international archive community, to be one of many playing our part. Earlier this month, our Keeper of Public Records, Jeff James, who sits on the International Council on Archives (ICA) Executive Board and is President of the Forum of National Archivists, agreed with other Board members to pass a resolution suspending relations with four Russian and Belarusian public archival institutions that are members of the ICA.

Last week, along with others across the sector, we responded to a request from the Ukrainian archives, to help them preserve their digital archives. As a leader in digital archiving, we have the expertise to support colleagues in Ukraine as they preserve their digital archival heritage and will continue to work with our international networks to provide whatever support we can.

Jeff James, Keeper of The National Archives yesterday said:

“We stand by the efforts of our international archive community to support our colleagues in Ukraine and we hope for a swift and just end to this devastating war. In tragic situations like these, we are reminded of the significant role archives play in preserving the stories of a nation. The digital archives we have agreed to protect will form a vital part in the reconstruction of Ukrainian society. Alongside other institutions, we will continue to do what we can until that time arrives.”

Across our organisation, in line with the UK Government’s position, teams are working on other activities to show our solidarity with the people of Ukraine, including registering and publishing Statutory Instruments relating to sanctions, exploring what support we can offer the Institute for Conservation’s (ICON) appeal to protect Ukraine’s cultural heritage, and our Web Archiving team is ensuring we capture as complete a record as we can of the UK Government’s response on the web to the invasion of Ukraine.

This weekend we are supporting History For Ukraine a livestreamed history event that will bring together historians from around the world in solidarity to raise funds for Ukraine. The event will be broadcast online and across social media on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 March 2022. Instead of buying a ticket, please donate what you can to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. Find out more about the event at https://historyforukraine.co/