StatementThe importance of openness of archives and understanding the Soviet past is clearly demonstrated by the war that is now raging in Ukraine. Vladimir Putin's extensive statement on February 23 presented the history of Ukraine in a biased and distorted way, glorifying the Soviet totalitarian state and ignoring its own record of crimes against humanity directed at the Ukrainian people. As it has repeatedly done before, but now on a larger scale than ever, the Kremlin is presently manipulating historical narrative in order to justify its own acts of aggression.
The Open Archives Platform and the signatory organizations hereby express their solidarity with Ukraine and also call on the governments and state archival institutions of the post-Soviet and Eastern bloc countries:
- To ensure the establishment of a maximum transparency standard and best legal practices for archives.
- To reduce barriers for researchers in the process of working on topics of interest to them in archives.
In turn, the Open Archives platform will support various areas related to archive openness, through the following means:
- Developing relevant recommendations for establishing best practices in the post-Soviet and post-socialist country and providing expert assistance in the process of change.
- Providing communication for the exchange of information and practical examples between different countries and experts.
- With the active support and promotion of any state or civic idea aimed at opening archives.
See the attached document for the full text of the statement and the list of signatories.
