Suspilne Ukraine and the Central State Audiovisual and Electronic Archive (CSAEA) have signed a cooperation agreement. On January 19, at Suspilne’s central office in Kyiv, the document was signed by Suspilne’s chairman Mykola Chernotytskyi and CSAEA director Tetiana Yemelianova.
“The cooperation between Suspilne and the Central State Audiovisual and Electronic Archive allows us to combine resources and expertise to systematically store and restore audiovisual materials that were previously inaccessible and make them available to the public,” said Mykola Chernotytskyi, Head of the Managing Board of Suspilne.
“Despite the fact that the national archival audiovisual heritage is an important information resource for society, its visibility and usability remain limited. One of the reasons is the dispersion of this heritage and the fragmentation of the efforts of the institutions responsible for making it available. However, as of today, the Central State Audiovisual and Electronic Archive and Suspilne (which are responsible for the largest audiovisual collections) are united not only by their shared concern about this situation, but also by their great desire to “open” their archives to the general public, promoting awareness of their cultural value and innovative potential, as well as their contribution to the formation of national identity and collective memory,” said Tetyana Yemelianova, director of the CDAEA.
The agreement provides for joint work on the collection, preservation, and restoration of photo, video, and audio materials about the events of the full-scale war, as well as the restoration of access to the audiovisual heritage of regional television studios in Ukraine, in particular Crimea and Donbas, much of which was lost or became inaccessible due to the occupation and destruction of local archives. This includes, in particular, materials from state television and radio companies, which were transferred to the central state archive as mandatory copies in various years and have been preserved in the archives.
“It is very symbolic that the initiative of Suspilne, supported by our team, begins with the opening of the archives of Crimea and Donbas, which, among other things, mark where we come from and where we ultimately have to return. I am confident that by combining our experience and expertise, we will not only lay the foundation for public access to audiovisual documentary resources, but also ensure a solid future for the audiovisual archives themselves and their promotion in the European space,” added Tetyana Yemelianova, director of the CDAEA.
“I am very inspired by the fact that the archive’s management immediately agreed to our initiative to resume close cooperation, which provides for the exchange of information and materials. This is a case where not only both sides benefit from the interaction, but also — and most importantly — Ukrainian society. By filling the National Archival Fund with materials from Suspilne, we are enriching the source base not only for the present but also for the distant future. At the same time, on our distribution platforms, in particular the website Suspilne Mediateka, people will be able to familiarize themselves with the digitized heritage of regional television and radio stations, in particular those whose archives were stolen or destroyed by Russian occupiers,” said Taisiya Turchyn, director of the department «Mediakeka» at Suspilne.
As a reminder, the Central State Audiovisual and Electronic Archive is the central state archival institution that permanently stores and provides access to audiovisual and electronic documents of the National Archival Fund of Ukraine as evidence of the history of the state and society.
After the reform of state television and radio channels, Suspilne inherited huge amounts of video and audio data — not only from central but also from all regional television and radio companies. The team is gradually digitizing these recordings, organizing them into catalogs, and posting them on platform Suspilne Mediateka, where anyone can view or listen to them.
Suspilne Ukraine is an independent media company with a strong presence across all platforms: the TV channels Pershyi, Suspilne Kultura, Suspilne Sport, and a national network of local channels; the radio stations Ukrainske Radio, Radio Promin, Radio Kultura, Radiotochka. Find only verified news on suspilne.media, as well as on our national and local digital platforms. We broadcast in minority languages, represent Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest, develop the children’s platform Brobaks, and train media professionals through the Public Media Academy. Our Suspilne Mediateka platform offers unique video and audio archives dating from the 1920s to today. Defending freedom in Ukraine.
Photographed by Anastasiia Mantach
