Today’s news / Danish accounts from century-old war given to Ukraine
Historical material equivalent to four full archive boxes in the National Archives is handed over to the Ukrainian ambassador in Denmark and later to the National Archives in Ukraine. (Archive photo). Photo: Thomas Lekfeldt/Ritzau Scanpix

Danish accounts from century-old war given to Ukraine

On Tuesday, the Danish National Archives handed over four archival boxes of material in digital form documenting Ukraine’s history to the Ukrainian ambassador in Denmark. These boxes contain reports from Danes who were sent by the Red Cross to Ukraine from 1918 to 1921 during the civil war between the Ukrainian People’s Republic and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. The documents narrate the harrowing experiences during the conflicts, including attacks on Danish field hospitals, theft of medicine, and widespread starvation amongst children and adults. Danish Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt highlights the significance of these historical documents given Russia’s current invasion, as Ukraine once again fights for its independence. The Ukrainian National Archives will also receive a digital copy later this spring, and the archives will be accessible on the Danish National Archives’ website.