Central State Archive-Museum of Literature and Art of Ukraine TsDAMLM / CSAMLA

Overview

The Central State Archive-Museum of Literature and Art of Ukraine (TsDAMLM; Ukrainian: Центральний державний архів-музей літератури і мистецтва України) is a national-level state archive and museum in Kyiv that serves as Ukraine's primary repository for the documentary and material heritage of its literary and artistic communities. It combines archival functions with museum exhibitions and operates under the State Archival Service of Ukraine.

History and Founding

TsDAMLM was established on 4 May 1966 by a decree of the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR, partly through the initiative of prominent writer and chairman of the Ukrainian Writers' Union, Oles Honchar. The archive is housed in the historic building of the Sophia Monastery Bursa (constructed 1763–1767), located within the grounds of the National Reserve 'Sofia of Kyiv' in central Kyiv. The institution adopted its current name following Ukrainian independence in 1992.

Collections and Holdings

TsDAMLM holds approximately 1,360 fonds comprising around 296,000 storage units. Its collections are predominantly from the Soviet period, though they also include important pre-revolutionary materials. Holdings include: records of official cultural bodies (the Shevchenko Prize committee, Ukrkontsert), professional and creative associations (the Union of Artists of Ukraine), literary and artistic publishing houses, theater companies, and film studios. The archive is most notably the largest treasury in Ukraine of literary and artistic personal funds — papers of writers, literary critics, translators, journalists, art historians, opera singers, theater and cinema actors, stage directors, architects, composers, and folklorists. Among the 17 special collections are: materials of the Ukrainian necropolis; folk songs collected 1897–1919; documents of theater and cinema actors; fine arts materials from Ukrainian exhibitions; a collection of bookplates (5,146 items, 1868–1985, works by approximately 500 artists); and a unique collection of book graphics including covers of early Ukrainian literary magazines and almanacs.

Notable Materials for Journalism and Media Research

The archive's collection of early Ukrainian literary and arts magazine covers, almanacs, and the personal papers of prominent journalists and literary critics make it a significant resource for researchers of Ukrainian media history. The personal fund of poet and academician P. Tychyna is among the most complete, and papers of writers M. Bazhan, M. Rylsky, and V. Sosiura provide documentation of Ukrainian cultural publishing in the Soviet era. The archive also holds documents of Ukrainian cultural figures persecuted for political reasons, providing insight into the relationship between the Soviet state and the press.

Access and Usage

The archive has a reading room where researchers can order archival documents. Memorial exhibition offices recreate the workspaces of prominent Ukrainian cultural figures, including film director Oleksandr Dovzhenko, writers Yuriy Yanovsky and Mykhaylo Stelmakh, and others. The archive is located at Volodymyrska Street 22a, 01025 Kyiv, within the grounds of the St. Sophia Cathedral complex. It is accessible via the Zoloti Vorota and Maidan Nezalezhnosti metro stations.