Reading room

Access to archival documents for users preparing academic works, dissertations, scholarly articles, or books is granted upon submission of:

• reasoned written application by the user;
• research portfolio/work plan;
• 3 × 4 cm photo.

Validity of permission. Access is granted for one year from the date the application is registered. If further work is required beyond this term, or if the research topic changes, users must submit a new application/petition and obtain a new access permit.

Access for Users Performing Official Duties
Access to archival documents for users acting in an official capacity is granted upon presentation of:

• An official document (letter, petition, ruling of an investigating judge or court) confirming the user’s authority to perform official tasks;
• A reasoned written application by the user;
• An identity document, or electronic presentation of the relevant document(s) via the Unified State Web Portal of Electronic Services “Diia.”

Access to Classified and “For Official Use Only” Documents
For classified documents, the user must present:

• an assignment order issued by the military unit or institution that transferred the classified documents to the SSA MoD for storage (or, if unavailable, by the superior institution or its legal successor);
• a certificate of clearance for state secrets.

For documents marked “For Official Use Only,” the user must present:

• A letter from the originating institution authorising familiarisation with the content and/or the provision of copies, if such a letter was not provided when the documents were transferred.
  While working with classified or FOUO documents, users must:
• Use a clean (blank) notebook for notes only.
  Users are prohibited from:
• Disclosing information from such documents to third parties;
• Recording in their notebooks information unrelated to the stated research topic.

Grounds for Deferring Access
Access to archival documents may be postponed if:

1. The documents contain classified, service-related, or confidential information.
2. The records creator/owner, their authorised representative, or legal successor has established special conditions of use;
3. There is a need for scholarly/technical processing, improvement of physical condition, or verification of the presence and condition of the documents;
4. A user copy/access collection (e.g., digitised or microfilmed copies) is being created;
5. The documents are on temporary loan outside the BSA MoD.

Users working in the reading room must comply with the rules for handling archival documents (files).
Users are prohibited from:

• Deforming archival documents by applying mechanical pressure to open files fully;
• Opening files beyond 180°;
• Folding back pages where the binding does not allow it;
• Inserting bookmarks or placing pencils, pens, or other objects between pages;
• Punching holes in pages;
• Moistening documents when turning pages;
• Making notes on the texts or margins of archival documents or in inventories (finding aids); adding marks, underlining, insertions, or corrections;
• Copying documents, drawings, or images using carbon paper;
• Using transparent material (tracing paper) for copying;
• Writing on sheets of paper placed directly on top of archival documents;
• Working with archival documents exposed to direct sunlight;
• Removing archival documents, reference materials, or working notebooks from the reading room;
• Handing archival documents (files) to other persons;
• Photographing archival documents with flash-equipped devices.

By decision of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine or the BSA MoD, persons may be denied access to archival documents held by the BSA MoD for gross violations of the rules for use, including:

• Damaging, destroying, forging, or stealing archival documents;
• Distorting or falsifying information contained in archival documents, including during the organisation or conduct of political events; engaging in information activities in cooperation with the aggressor state and/or its occupation administration aimed at supporting the aggressor state, its occupation administration or armed formations, and/or helping it evade responsibility for armed aggression against Ukraine; active participation in such activities;
• Failing, through one’s own fault, to return on time archival documents provided for temporary use outside the BSA MoD.

Users are notified in writing of any refusal of access, with a statement of the exhaustive grounds for such refusal.

Visits to the Reading Room: