Central State Historical Archives of Ukraine in Kyiv TsDIAK

Overview

The Central State Historical Archives of Ukraine in Kyiv (TsDIAK; Ukrainian: Центральний державний історичний архів України, м. Київ) is the oldest and one of the most important archival repositories in Ukraine. It is the primary depository for pre-Soviet historical records of national significance, holding documents spanning from the 13th century to 1917. The archive operates under the State Archival Service of Ukraine.

History and Founding

The history of TsDIAK traces to 1852, when the Central Archives of Ancient Acts was established in Kyiv at the University of St. Volodymyr by the Temporary Commission for the Analysis of Old Documents (later the Kyiv Archeographic Commission). By 1890 it held approximately 5,883 court record books and 500,000 other documents. After the revolution, it was incorporated into the Soviet archival system. The archive was formally constituted as the Central State Historical Archive of the Ukrainian SSR by NKVD order on 24 July 1941, incorporating collections from Kharkiv and Kyiv regional archives. During World War II, portions of the archive were evacuated or destroyed; the Germans removed significant holdings, most of which were later recovered. In 1992 the archive assumed its present name. Its massive holdings now encompass approximately 1,618 fonds with over 1,300,000 storage units.

Collections and Holdings

TsDIAK holds documents covering Ukrainian history from the period of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (14th century) through the February Revolution of 1917. Among its most significant materials are: a Greek-language Gospel on parchment (13th century); documents from the Kyiv Archeographic Commission collection; approximately one million court records from the 16th to 18th centuries in Old Ukrainian, Polish, and Latin; records of the Hetman state, including the General Military Chancellery and General Military Court; materials from the Cossack Zaporozhian Sich; personal and family archives of major Ukrainian noble families (Galagan, Lukashevych, Skoropadsky, Tereshchenko, Khanenko, and others); and records of gubernatorial administrations, educational institutions, and religious bodies from the Russian imperial period.

Notable Materials for Research

Highlights of TsDIAK's cartographic holdings include the earliest known Ukrainian cartographic document, the Borispil Volost border map from the 1630s, and Ushakov's 1695 Kyiv map. The archive holds early printed editions including the Ostrozhska Bible (1581), a rich collection of early Ukrainian periodical and book records, and documents on Ukrainian educational and cultural institutions from the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Access and Usage

TsDIAK is accessible to researchers in its Solomianka district reading rooms in Kyiv (it relocated there in 1970–71). The archive provides finding aids and information through the State Archival Service of Ukraine portal at cdiak.archives.gov.ua.