Thefts at the Lviv Archives: researchers comment (12/11/05)

Thefts at the Lviv Archives: researchers comment

by Oksana Zakydalsky

TORONTO - Since the summer of 2004, when news of massive thefts from the Lviv Archives hit the press, the issue has energized an ever-growing circle of concerned scholars, researchers, archivists, intellectuals and politicians in Ukraine. (See The Weekly, November 6, 2005.) But the investigation, which began late and has been going on for a year, still has not identified either the perpetrators or the instigators of the crimes.

The chairman of the State Committee on Archives, Hennadii Boriak, and Lviv Archives Director Diana Pelz have been accused of stonewalling and of harassing the two workers of the Lviv Archives - Ivan and Halyna Svarnyk - who were the first to bring the thefts to wide public attention. Scholars and researchers from outside Ukraine, who are familiar with the archives, have also expressed their concern about the situation.

Victor Ostapchuk, associate professor, department of Near and Middle Eastern civilizations, University of Toronto:

The thefts in the Lviv and, for that matter, other archives in Ukraine, are a tragedy with many manifestations. Aside from the losses, most of which are probably irretrievable, for the shorter run (which can mean several years) scholars are barred from using the Lviv Archives, which are indeed one of the greatest archives in the world, since they are closed indefinitely for inventory. This affects not only Ukrainians, such as those pursuing a candidate's or doctoral degree, who cannot do their research if their topic requires access to the Lviv Archives. They have either to change their topic or delay their program.

Historians from other countries are in a similar situation. The main and indispensible source for the dissertation of one of my Ph.D. students here at the University of Toronto, whose topic concerns trade between the Ottoman Empire, Poland and Ukraine in the 16th century, is a large body of unique records relating to Armenians, which hopefully are still intact in the Lviv Archives. Without access to this material, his dissertation topic will have to be changed.

I suspect the Ukrainian archival authorities initially did not know what they were up against, namely, well-organized international thievery groups intent on reaping healthy profits from a relatively easily and risk-free undertaking. Incidentally, there is a similar but longer standing situation with Ukrainian antiquities - especially those still on archeological sites. Since independence, the sites have been systematically plundered and, thus far, the Ukrainian authorities have not had sufficient will, or perhaps the interest, to act seriously in preventing such activities.

Iroida Wynnyckyj, archivist, Ukrainian Canadian Research and Documentation Center, Toronto:

My trip to Lviv this year was marred by the scandalous thefts at the Lviv Archives. Since 1992, I have visited the Lviv Archives every year and have searched for materials related to the 1946-1947 famine, the history of Plast, as well as various personal files. Last year I came upon an interesting letter written by Atanas Figol to Volodymyr Kubijovyc dealing with Ukrainian Central Committee matters. A copy of it has become a part of the UCRDC's file on Atanas Figol. This year, I was looking forward to doing more research at the Lviv Archives. What a disappointment when I found them closed.

I was not the only one who was baffled. A group of researchers from the genealogical society of Alberta were frustrated when they faced the closed doors of the archives, with no explanation of why or indication of when they would be reopened.

But, in my opinion, it is the Ukrainian researchers who are the biggest victims. A friend of mine at Lviv University is researching the Prosvita movement in Halychyna for her candidate's degree. Her work is greatly dependent on the documentation housed at the Lviv Archives. At the present time, she is in a bind. If the archives do not reopen in the near future, her only choice will be to abandon her work and pursue a different topic. My friend is one of many scholars and researchers caught in an archival crisis about which the powers that be seem to care little.

During my stay in Ukraine, the Russian-Ukrainian Conference of Archives Directors took place in Lviv (September 24). A group of concerned citizens demonstrated in front of the conference building, carrying banners: "Archival losses - Boriak's shame," "Stop the persecution of Ukrainian scholars," "Away with the archival mafia." They demanded a statement from Mr. Boriak as to what the government was doing to solve the archival crisis in Lviv. Mr. Boriak chose to neither respond nor meet the press. Such a lack of regard on the part of officials is very disturbing.

Frank Sysyn, director, Peter Jacyk Center for Ukrainian Historical Research at CIUS, University of Alberta:

The archival thefts in Lviv are the cause of great concern to scholars throughout the world. In general, the record of independent Ukraine in dealing with its archival treasures has been mixed. On the positive side, there has been increased access. On the negative, there has been drastic underfunding.

The Lviv collections at the State Historical Archive and the Stefanyk Library are the most important in Ukraine. They also have an international dimension in that Poland and Polish institutions have claimed parts of these collections, especially those of the former Ossolineum. Only the dedicated work of Lviv archivists and intellectuals prevented some of these collections from being sent to Poland by the Soviet authorities. The moral right of Lviv and Ukraine to retain these materials is placed in question if they are not protected and preserved properly.

The archival controversy is somewhat reminiscent of the painful break-up of the Orange Revolution coalition. Both sides in the controversy have been known internationally for their positive and effective work in representing Ukraine and its archival and scholarly work. Hennadii Boriak has worked effectively with numerous international organizations and assisted many scholars in carrying on research. Iaroslav Dashkevych, a leading scholar and former dissident, and his colleagues Ivan and Halyna Svarnyk, have worked with great dedication to preserve and catalogue Ukraine's archival legacy (e.g., the materials in the Polish National Library) and are known for their professionalism and expertise.

The allegations that each side raises against the other are profoundly troubling to all who know them. Many of us are reading the various statements and observing the authorities' actions carefully.

* * *

Since 1989 Evhen Misilo, director of the Ukrainian Archives in Warsaw, has been researching and cataloguing archives of the Ukrainian Shevchenko Scientific Society found in Warsaw that were removed in 1944 by the retreating Nazis from Lviv to Silesia and later brought to Warsaw. Assisting Mr. Misilo, on a part-time basis, has been Halyna Svarnyk of the Lviv Archives. Mr. Misilo emphasized that Ms. Svarnyk was a dedicated and professional archivist whose work on the collection of documents in Warsaw was invaluable. As a result of her work, a 350-page catalogue, "Archives and Manuscripts of the Shevchenko Scientific Society in the Holdings of the National Library of Warsaw," was recently published (Warsaw-Lviv-New York 2005). This catalogue will provide a unique documentary source for the political, social and cultural history of Ukraine in the first half of the 20th century.

Mr. Misilo, who was in Toronto recently, said that, despite his numerous appeals, Ukrainian government officials continuously refused to get involved in helping him retrieve the portion of the plundered Lviv archives that have remained in Silesia.

He also mentioned that, in the period of time that he has worked on the Lviv archives in Warsaw, Mr. Boriak had not shown any interest in them or come to Warsaw to look at them. Recently, however, Mr. Boriak appeared in Warsaw with Lviv Director Pelz trying to find some compromising evidence on Ms. Svarnyk, asking around whether there had been any complaints by anyone against Ms. Svarnyk.

Correction

In Oksana Zakydalsky's previous article about the Lviv Archives (November 6) the author incorrectly spelled the surname of Ivan and Halyna Svarnyk.

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