On 16 June, a ceremonial handover of a collection of historical documents of Ukrainian origin, identified in the holdings of the National Archives of Latvia, took place at the Latvian State Historical Archives in Riga.

The transfer of such a substantial body of archival materials of Ukrainian origin is one of the largest cases of the return of documentary heritage to Ukraine in recent years, as intergovernmental transfers of historical documents of this kind occur only rarely.

The documents were personally handed over to the State Archival Service of Ukraine by Māra Sprūdža, Director of the National Archives of Latvia, and received by Anatolii Khromov, Head of the State Archival Service of Ukraine.

The ceremony was also attended by Baiba Braže, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia; Dace Vilsone, State Secretary of the Ministry of Culture of Latvia; Kateryna Pasynchuk, Chargé d'Affaires of Ukraine in the Republic of Latvia, and representatives of the National Archives of Latvia and the State Archival Service of Ukraine.

The collection was discovered during research conducted in 2025 within the holdings of the Latvian State Historical Archives. The documents date from 1860 to 1940 and include reports, certificates, registers, architectural drawings and other materials related to the activities of Evangelical Lutheran communities, schools and settlements in what are today the Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Odesa and Volyn regions of Ukraine. According to expert assessments, the documents arrived in Latvia after the end of the Second World War together with Latvian archival materials that had been returned from evacuation.

Following a professional assessment, the National Archives of Latvia concluded that these documents could and should be transferred to Ukraine in accordance with international principles governing the preservation of cultural heritage and the cooperation agreements between archival institutions concluded in 2002, 2015 and 2025.

The Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Latvia expresses its sincere gratitude to the National Archives of Latvia and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia for their fruitful cooperation and support in the implementation of this important initiative.

This event is yet another testament to Latvia’s unwavering support for Ukraine and to our shared commitment to preserving historical memory, safeguarding cultural heritage, and restoring historical justice in the context of Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine.

The Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Latvia will facilitate the transportation of the transferred documents to Ukraine, where they will be preserved, processed and further studied by Ukrainian archivists.