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Research of Jewish Heritage in Ukrainian Regions: Archives, Museums, Collections
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- Published on Thursday, 26 February 2026 11:12
A systematic study of Jewish documentary heritage in archives, libraries and museums of Ukraine is underway within the framework of the research project 鈥淛ewish Heritage in Ukraine: Interdisciplinary Reflections Through the Lenses of Archival Documents, Culture, History and Literature鈥�. The project is implemented by the National University of 星空传媒 Academy with support from UNESCO and the European Union.
The historical direction of the project is led by researchers Tetyana Borodina, Taisa Sydorchuk, Anna Umanska, and Nadiya Ufimtseva. They have undertaken a series of research trips to various Ukrainian regions 鈥� including Lviv, Odesa, Poltava region, and Kamianets-Podilskyi, focusing on discovering, processing, and interpreting under-researched or previously inaccessible sources.
Lviv: Jewish Museum Activities in the Interwar Period
During the study of Jewish museology of the 1920s鈥�1930s in Lviv, Taisa Sydorchuk examined archives from various city institutions, including archives, libraries, and museums. As a result, it was established that documents related to the founding and activities of the Jewish Museum in Lviv, as well as the museum collection itself, were dispersed due to criminal actions by Nazi and Soviet authorities and are now stored in eight different institutions.
Most of the sources are housed in the Central State Historical Archive of Ukraine in Lviv, particularly in documents of the Jewish Religious Community. Meeting protocols, statutory documents, annual reports, and correspondence trace the long and complex process of museum institutionalization 鈥� from the initial initiatives by Jewish collectors and researchers to the official opening of the museum in 1934.
Significant materials are also preserved in the Vasyl Stefanyk Lviv Scientific Library and the Institute of Ethnology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. These include printed publications and periodicals, archival documents, photo albums, museum catalogs, exhibition materials, and documents recording the forced displacement of museum valuables during World War II. Most of these sources are unique and have not been duplicated, representing invaluable historical and documentary evidence of Jewish cultural heritage.
Odesa: Archives of the City鈥檚 Jewish Community
Anna Umanska鈥檚 research trip to Odesa focused on studying archival sources related to the history of the city鈥檚 Jewish community 鈥� one of the main centers of Jewish cultural, religious, and intellectual life in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Her work was conducted mainly at the State Archive of the Odesa Region and the Odesa Literature Museum. The processed archival collections allow for reconstructing the activities of Jewish political organizations at the beginning of the Soviet period, tracing the development of Jewish education, and understanding the mechanisms of state regulation of educational institutions during the Russian Empire.
A separate body of sources pertains to the Jewish theatrical and literary environment of interwar Odesa. Personal archives of playwrights, poets, and journalists contain manuscripts, correspondence, theater programs, and materials reflecting both active cultural life and experiences of repression, imprisonment, and subsequent rehabilitation of artists. A significant portion of these materials remains underexplored, opening new prospects for studying the Soviet-Jewish cultural history.
Poltava Region: The History of the Holocaust in the Region
During a research trip to Poltava region, Tetyana Borodina focused on studying materials related to the Holocaust history in the region. Her work included examining collections from state archives and local history museums in Myrhorod, Khorol, and Kremenchuk.
Particularly valuable are archival files from the Nazi occupation period, occupation periodicals, photographic documents, and court proceedings materials, which enable tracking the local dynamics of genocidal violence and the role of local authorities in implementing Nazi policies. Some of these sources had not been previously introduced into scholarly circulation, and some may not have been used by researchers at all.
The main challenge lies in the dispersal of materials across different collections and institutions. However, this fragmentation makes regional archives and museums crucial spaces for reconstructing the local history of the Holocaust and understanding individual and collective memory trajectories.
Kamianets-Podilskyi: Provenance of the Book Heritage
Nadiya Ufimtseva鈥檚 research focuses on the provenance study of the collection of Jewish printed books at the Kamianets-Podilskyi State Historical Museum-Reserve. The collection includes 741 editions printed in Jewish languages from the second half of the 18th century to the early 20th century, predominantly representing religious literature.
Analysis of bookplates, ownership notes, and signs of use indicates that the books belonged to members of the Kamianets-Podilskyi Jewish community or local religious institutions before the 1930s, when Soviet authorities confiscated Jewish communal property. However, about fifty years of the collection鈥檚 history remain undocumented.
In this context, the books themselves serve as primary sources for reconstructing the collection鈥檚 history, even in the absence of archival documents. These editions will be fully integrated into scholarly circulation for the first time, significantly contributing to the study of Jewish religious and intellectual culture in Podillia.
The research conducted across various Ukrainian regions reveals common challenges: dispersed sources, fragmentary preserved documentation, and long gaps in materials within the scholarly space. Nonetheless, they demonstrate the remarkable potential of regional archives, libraries, and museums as key custodians of Jewish historical and cultural heritage.
The collected materials are currently being processed and will form the basis for scholarly articles and an Interdisciplinary Collective Monograph, ensuring their integration into the academic discourse and broader research on Jewish history in Ukraine.
All activities within the framework of the project are supported by the European Union. Their content is solely the responsibility of the partner and does not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union.