Ukrainian archives preserve documents on Nazi crimes, the Holocaust, the forced deportation of Ukrainians for labor in Germany, the activities of resistance movements, and the daily life of the population during World War II. This was reported by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine on the occasion of the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism, according to UNN.
On May 8, Ukraine honors the memory of the victims of World War II and celebrates the victory over Nazism. During that war, Ukrainian land became one of the primary theaters of military operations, a site of large-scale battles and fierce resistance against the enemy. With the assistance of the State Archival Service of Ukraine, the Ministry of Justice has collected some of these materials to present the realities of that time through the human dimension,
The funds of the state archives hold thousands of documents recording the events of 1939-1945 — from personal stories to evidence of Nazi war crimes and the destruction suffered by Ukraine at that time.
All of them preserve the memory of our compatriots. Of those who were deported to Germany for forced labor and wrote letters home, knowing that every word was read by a censor. Of those who, with weapons in hand, destroyed the occupiers at the front. And of those who returned to ruined cities and villages after de-occupation.
There are also many documents in the archives recording Nazi crimes. Such as the announcement for the assembly of the Jewish population of Kyiv in September 1941, which was followed by the executions at Babyn Yar. Or materials about the burned villages of the Chernihiv region, specifically Koriukivka, where the most massive massacre of civilians in German-occupied European territories during the entire period of World War II took place.
Separately, there are materials regarding the Nuremberg trials. It was there that the Nazi regime and its ideology were condemned, war crimes and crimes against humanity received a legal assessment, and the perpetrators received verdicts and punishment. This is a reminder that remains relevant today.
The preservation and accessibility of archival documents are an important part of the policy of memory and a tool for establishing historical justice,